Into the Sea
by Mischa Clark
Summary: That was it. It was over. But, of course it wasn't that simple; not when you were in love. Love tends to blind you.
1. A Drop in the Ocean by Ron Pope

1. A Drop in the Ocean

Annie Cresta played with the rope on her wrist nervously, the booming voice surrounding her on all sides as she tried very hard to keep calm. She took in a deep, unsteady breath and closed her eyes, finding a better, happier memory to think of.

She was tying knots by the water, making a net. She had been sitting on a rock, letting the waves lap at her feet. She used a small knife to cut the rope. "Hey," Annie jumped, cutting the rope accidentally, "shoot," she muttered to herself. She'd turned around to see Finnick Odair standing behind her. He stood in such a peculiar way, his feet half angled, like he could take off running at any time.

He chuckled, "Sorry," Finnick sat beside her, staring out at the ocean. Annie sighed, knowing he was in one of his moods. She tossed the stray piece of rope aside and continued her work, trying to fix the hole she'd made. Annie knew Finnick well enough to know that when he had that look on his face, he was thinking hard about something. She knew better than to speak, so she sat quietly at his side.

After a while, Finnick had sighed, he absently picked up the rope and toyed with it, feeling Annie's eyes on his face. He was only fourteen, but he felt older than that. "What is it?" She asked quietly.

"Lana and I broke up." Annie frowned, trying to remember who Lana was. Suddenly, a girl with short brown hair came into her mind, and she wrinkled her nose. Lana was mean, not worthy of Finnick. Of course, she didn't say that, though.

"You'll be fine, Finnick." He shrugged in response, "I liked her." Annie nodded, averting her eyes back to her net, "You fall too easily, Odair." He chuckled again, "We were dating for a whole week."

"That's not very long." Finnick paused, pursing his lips. "Why is it that whenever I'm with you, you sound like you're older than me?"

Annie shrugged, "Maybe you're just immature." She nudged him and smiled. He smiled back, "Here," he said, motioning for her wrist. She held it out and he tied it neatly. "For being _such_ a good friend." He patted her wrist where the stray rope now hung.

She heard the sarcasm, but accepted it anyways, "I appreciate it. I know how much trouble you went to in order to get it for me."

"Feisty today, aren't we, Cresta?" Annie glanced up at his face and saw that he was teasing. She sighed, "Thank you." she mumbled, and twisted the bracelet around.

Just like she did today. She opened her eyes and looked up at the stage. Capri was the escort for District 4, and she was putting her green hand into the girls' bowl. Annie's eyes darted around until she found him.

Finnick met her eyes evenly, calmly, as if to say, '_relax, Annie.'_

She held his gaze as they called the name. "Vega Rey!" Annie could see her on the screen above Finnick's head, and saw that he was watching on the one above her own head. Vega's long, yellow hair hung to her waist as she walked. The corner of her mouth twitched up in a menacing grin. Finnick and Annie both shuttered. "Now for the boys!" Capri's Capitol accent rang once Vega Rey was settled.

Annie met Finnick's eyes again, realizing that the nightmare wasn't over yet. He still needed to be safe.

"Finnick Odair!" Her heart dropped to the ground below her, and his eyes widened in horror. She knew that the look on his face would haunt her for the rest of her life.

Finnick's mind was blank as he walked slowly to the stage. He could only register three things. The first was that Annie looked like she was in physical pain. The second was that Vega Rey had a strange expression on her face, like she was…scared. But only for a brief instant.

The third thing Finnick saw was his mother, standing beside Annie's, clutching their hands together, both faces covered in tears. He looked away quickly, before his own tears formed.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you your tributes from District Four, Vega Rey and Finnick Odair!"

Finnick was going into The Hunger Games.


	2. Heavy Heart, Heavy Hands by Sunday Lane

2. Heavy Heart, Heavy Hands

Annie walked to the guards, holding her chin up, trying to show no fear. She knew the one on the right, he was the head peacekeeper. Dutch Everlong was probably the scariest man she'd ever met. He had darkness in his light, cool blue eyes that baffled and frightened her.

"Who are you here to see, sweetheart?" He asked, looking at her in a way that made her uncomfortable. "Finnick Odair," she choked out quietly. He laughed, but opened the door and pointed out the room he was in. Annie had never been inside the Justice Building. It was only used for this occasion and Victory Tours.

She pushed open the door and found Finnick sitting in a chair across the room. He smiled sadly at her as she came in. "Hi," she breathed. "Hey, fish." He answered. She tried to smile, failing.

He lifted his head, beckoning her forward. She took a few steps closer and then stopped, twisting her arms behind her back, afraid that she would do something silly like wrap them around him.

Surely, he wouldn't need that, wouldn't want that. "I want to give you something." She said. He raised an eyebrow and she held out her hand. Finnick stood and closed the distance. He opened his palm and she dropped the item into his hand. He glanced at it, and then back at her.

"For being such a good friend." She muttered. Finnick held the rope tightly as she spoke again, "I thought it could be your token."

"Thank you, Annie." Finnick said, tying it around his own wrist. She couldn't help but notice that he really meant it, he was actually grateful for the little piece of rope. He turned and went back to sit in his chair with a sigh. He sounded years older than he really was, like an old man who'd just gotten a chance to rest.

"Can you do me a favor?" He asked.

"Anything."

"Take care of my mother, and watch out for my brothers?" He asked, like it was even a question. "You don't even have to ask, Finnick." She answered. He nodded, assured by her words. Despite everything, the reality hadn't set in.

Annie crossed the room impulsively, kneeling down in front of Finnick and taking both of his hands. Her hazel eyes were wide, almost pleading. "Can you do me a favor too?" Her question confused him. What could he possibly do for her? He was helpless. "Sure," he said cautiously.

"Win." She said. Finnick almost laughed. Almost. "I'll do my best." She shook her head, not convinced. "I mean it Finnick. You can do this."

"I don't know how to do anything."

"Yes you do. You can use a trident." His eyebrows pushed together, "catching fish will only keep me alive, not defend me." Annie sat patiently, waiting for him to put her words together. "Oh." He said once he did.

"They'll teach you other things, Finnick. You'll do this. I know you can," she hesitated, "I'd bet on you, Odair."

Her words strangely calmed him. Someone believed in him. Maybe he did have a chance.

"I need you to come home." She said, still watching his face. Finnick leaned closer, "Why?"

"Because I need you." He hesitated, trying to read her expression. All he saw was his best friend, desperate not to lose him. Finnick wondered what it would be like if their roles were reversed. If it were him on his knees, begging her to fight because he needed her. He could see it in his head. "Come home" she whispered.

"I will."

Finnick was only fourteen, and Annie was only thirteen. But in the world they lived, you grew up as soon as you turned twelve. As soon as you were old enough to be reaped for The Games, you were old enough to worry about things that children should never fret about. Annie and Finnick both knew this. Their mothers and fathers knew it too.

A parent should never have to watch their child die.


	3. Ocean Wide by the Afters

3. Ocean Wide

Annie spent the next three weeks watching Finnick with wide eyes. Sometimes she would curl up in a small ball. Sometimes she'd sit with his brothers; calming them. Sometimes she would lean forward in her seat, wringing her hands together as she watched him.

The night of his interview, she was in a little ball beside his mother. Annie held her hand. After greeting Caesar Flickerman-the host of The Games who never seemed to age due to all of his repairs-Finnick sat down. "Ah, Finnick Odair, the boy with the nine!"

Finnick smiled slyly at the host, "Indeed."

"Well young man, I have to say, you seem to be enjoying the Capitol greatly."

"I am. Everything is so perfect here; so beautiful." Caesar smiles, "It is, isn't it? What's the best thing you've seen here?"

Finnick smiles widely, "the women, I suppose." He raises a teasing eyebrow at Caesar and everyone laughs. "You must miss home though, right?" Finnick looks right at the camera. Annie's heart stops….It's like he were there, looking into her eyes instead of a camera lens. "Of course, I can't wait to be home. The views are almost as beautiful as here." Finnick twists Annie's rope bracelet as he speaks. Then he looks back at Caesar and smiles crookedly, "almost."

When Finnick's interview is over, Annie leans back. She can feel the flush on her face, and her parent's eyes on her. She stood up and walked for the door. Annie wasn't completely sure where she was going until her feet touched the water. She took a deep breath, feeling the ocean breeze touch her face and blow in her hair.

Now that her head was clear, she felt absolutely ridiculous. Finnick wasn't thinking of her. He was probably thinking about all those beautiful Capitol women. She sighed. Or maybe he was wondering which girl he'd have a chance with back in district 4 if he came home. Surely, Lana would give him a second shot. Annie wanted to slap herself. Finnick probably wasn't thinking of women at all, he was most likely trying to survive. And here she was, jealous and petty.

Annie shook her head, none of that mattered, as long as he was home, safe, he could fall in love and marry any woman he wanted. She just didn't want to lose her best friend, the best friend she'd ever had.

She smiled to herself, remembering a summer day she'd spent with Finnick when she was eleven and he was twelve. Annie was making a net on the beach, a hobby that she knew, even at that age; she'd never grow tired of.

Finnick approached her, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts. He glanced down at her and then continued toward the water. Being a curious little girl, Annie followed him. She never learned how to swim, her mother worried that she was too small.

Finnick took a few long strides into the waves until he was in up to his waist, then he lunged forward and disappeared into a wave.

Annie watched, waiting for him to come up. He was under so long that she was beginning to worry. But then his head had popped up, five yards from where he'd gone under. He looked to shore, raising a hand for her to come join him.

The little girl shook her head, and he dove back under, only to reappear, standing up to his previous waist level. He waited until he was beside her to speak, "You don't feel like swimming?"

"No."

"Why not?" he asked. She shrugged. Finnick looked genuinely confused, how could anyone not feel like swimming? "Are you sick?" he asked. She shook her head. "What's wrong, Annie?" he asked. Annie sighed, "I can't."

"You can't what?"

"I can't swim." He stared at her for a moment, "You mean, you don't know how?"

"My mother never taught me." Finnick hesitated, the thought completely foreign. He'd been floating and kicking around in the water before he could even walk. "Do you want me to teach you?" He'd asked. Annie looked up at him, "Really?"

"Sure."

"Okay!"

For the next few weeks, Annie and Finnick would meet at the same spot, every day, after school. Finnick would stay with her in the shallow water, showing her how to float. Then he'd teach her how to move her arms and legs so that she propelled forward. She wasn't as fast as he was, but it didn't take her long to learn. And after that, she quickly conquered technique and speed. This impressed Finnick. It didn't take her very long to thrive, and she was nearly as fast as he was, after spending his entire life swimming, and she only a few weeks.

Annie sighed, bringing herself out of that memory. It seemed like a lifetime ago. She smiled lightly at herself, knowing that she was only thirteen; she hadn't even lived half a life. And Finnick was only a year older, with his on the line.


	4. Home by Mumford and Sons

4. Home

Finnick spent his first week in the arena on defense. He was able to survive the bloodbath, while Annie sat stiffly at home, wondering what she would do if he died at that moment. Finnick grabbed a backpack near the Cornucopia with knives, a machete, and an ax.

He used his weapons when he was attacked, but he never went out looking for anyone. He lived off of the food that was given in the backpack; crackers, dried fruit, and dried meat. It was enough to last him the first week, since he only ate a couple of times a day.

The Games were down to 10 at the end of the first week. And that was when everything changed. Finnick received the most elaborate, expensive gift that has ever been given to a tribute.

The trident he received was not only luxurious and beautiful, but in the hands of Finnick Odair, it was the most deadly weapon in The Games.

During the second week, Finnick changed right in front of Annie's eyes. He got confidence, venturing away from his little campsite to hunt his competitors. He used the skills Annie taught him. He'd stay up all night making nets that he would rig throughout the arena. Finnick trapped his opponents, and then he would kill them cleanly and quickly with his trident.

When he killed, Annie saw madness in his eyes that she'd never seen in him before. It was like he was possessed; like someone else was in his body. But deep in those eyes, she saw sadness, a breaking that she knew no one else would see.

Finnick eliminated his last victim in a bloodbath. It was a boy named Matrix from District 2. He was much bigger than Finnick, but Finnick was smarter. He led Matrix toward the beach, and then used the water to his advantage. Matrix was an alright swimmer, but definitely no match for Finnick.

As soon as Finnick saw that Matrix was following him into the water, he knew he would win. Finnick had been expecting the boy to sit on the beach and wait, or throw knives or arrows at him from the shore. Matrix had clearly already lost a lot of blood, and he wasn't thinking very straight. He followed the tribute from District 4 right into his territory.

The fight lasted two hours, and Annie was sweating and shaking as they lifted Finnick out of the arena, blood and salt water dripping off of him into the crimson colored water below.

He'd be home in three days. Annie's heart sputtered at the thought. What was it going to be like? How would _he_ be? She couldn't get his face out of her mind; the face he wore when he killed. Would that be the boy she welcomed home, or would the old Finnick be back?

It frustrated her that she no longer understood Finnick. She spent her whole life understanding Finnick Odair. She knew him better than anyone. But that boy she saw in the television…he scared her.

Finnick sat on the train, racing toward home. He took deep breaths, trying not to look out the window, knowing the flying scenery would make him feel sick. He was going home. He would see his mother. He could hold his little brothers. His father would be proud of him. He twisted the bracelet, he'd see Annie again. The bracelet reminded him of her, he spent every night in that hell arena thinking of home as he twisted the bracelet nervously, wondering if someone was coming to kill him.

The train pulled into the station at District 4, and Finnick stood up nervously. His mentor, Mags, laid a hand on his shoulder. "Welcome home," she whispered. Finnick gave her a stiff nod before slipping out of her grip. The doors opened and he stepped out. Before he could even look around, his mother's arms were around him.

He hugged her back, looking at the crowd of people over her shoulder. His eyes roamed around at all the people. The first thing he noticed was that Vega's father wasn't there.

Finnick glanced at his little brothers, holding hands beside Annie's mother. Their fathers are a few feet away, and Finnick approaches them first. Annie's father shakes his hand, all the pride in his heart showing.

Finnick holds out his hand to his own father, who ignored it and pulls his son into a hug. Finnick had never hugged his father. He wasn't a man of affection. Finnick hugs Annie's mother and his little brothers. He could see Annie out of the corner of his eye, and he finally turned to her after he was finished greeting everyone else.

Their eyes met, and Annie shifted, like she was going to throw herself into his arms, but she pulled back, biting her lip and locking her hands behind her back, the same way she did in the Justice Building weeks ago.

Finnick raises an eyebrow at her, and she sees her old friend, standing in front of her. She gives in, tossing herself into him. Finnick catches her easily and holds her tight. Neither of them speaks, but her arms are tight around his neck, and he touches her hair.

His mother can't control herself, and joins the hug. Annie's mother laughs and hugs them too, followed by the rest of their families.

After Finnick greets his District, they leave for home; Finnick's new home in the Victor's Village.

The party that they hold there is both a welcome home, and a house-warming party. The house is big enough for Finnick's family, and Annie suddenly realizes that she'll be seeing a lot less of Finnick. His new home is across the District from her own.

Finnick tiredly makes his rounds, acknowledging everyone who came and thanking people for the gifts they got him. Girls look at him differently now, or maybe they always had. Annie never really payed much attention to them until now. Surely his winning gave them motivation though. She spent the night glowering at them as they whispered in his ear and touched him, "you did amazing in there." "You're my hero." "Maybe we could get out of here for a while…"

It didn't take long for it to get hot in there. Annie stormed out, heading for the beach. Before she really knew what she was doing, she threw her dress onto the sand, along with her shoes. She headed for the water wearing only underwear and a tank top.

They could have him, she though. Those girls would keep Finnick very busy, he wouldn't even need her. She couldn't decide what she thought about that, and she was pondering it when she heard someone call her name.

Annie pushed her hair out of her face and looked toward shore. Finnick was pulling his shirt off. He kicked his shoes aside and walked into the water in his shorts.

"What are you doing?" Annie asked him when he got close enough. "I was about to ask you the same thing." He answered.

"I just needed to get in the water,"

"It's kind of crazy in there, huh?" She looked away, "I guess you could say that."

"You know," he said, "it's pretty dangerous to be out here at night. The tide gets rough, not to mention it's illegal." Annie raised an eyebrow quizzically at him, "But I'm with you, they'd never condemn us." He saw her half-smirk and splashed water into her face. "Don't start with me, Odair." Annie warned.

Finnick laughed, the sound was strange to both of them. Neither of them had heard it since before he was reaped. He should have known only Annie would make him laugh. Their eyes met, and Finnick took a step closer to her, not breaking his gaze.

He was only a couple of feet away when her heart took off. He wasn't going to kiss her, was he? They were only thirteen and fourteen. He was confused, he'd just come home. He was tired. He didn't know what he was doing. Annie panicked, flicking water into his face before she could know if he'd intended on kissing her.

Finnick wiped his face, looking at her with a playful stare, "You're dead, Cresta." She squealed, trying to swim away. Finnick grabbed her easily. Picking her up, he tossed her into the waves in one motion.

She stayed under the water, swimming for his ankles and pulling on it when she reached him. Finnick fell backward into the water and they both surfaced laughing. He reached for her again, and she had no time to get away.

Finnick didn't throw Annie this time, instead he gathered her closer, "I'm sorry," he said. She looked up at him, "for what?"

"For needing you so much. You're my best friend, Annie. I couldn't have won those Games without you, and I won't survive anything that's to come if I don't have you."

Annie smiled, hugging him back, "You might not believe this, but I wanted to hear that; because I need you too. I was worried that you'd gotten too famous, too popular for me."

"That'd never happen, Annie." They stood like that for a while, just holding each other, comforting each other. They let the waves sway them and ignored the rest of the party. "By the way," he broke the silence, "I have something to give back to you."

Finnick untied the rope bracelet on his wrist and held it out to her. Annie shook her head, "I want you to keep it."

"But it's yours, fish."

"Not anymore. If there ever comes a day when I need it, you can give it to me then." Finnick didn't respond, even though he knew what she meant. He silently tied the rope back around his wrist, trying not to think about what it would be like if Annie was ever reaped.


	5. Iridescent by Linkin Park

5. Iridescent

Finnick left for his Victory Tour six months later. Not much had changed. He was still haunted by the demons in his mind. He still spent every night lying in bed, wishing he could find peace in his sleep. His nightmares kept him from wanting sleep, though, resulting in the dark circles under his eyes. Finnick's stylist was not happy about that. The man shook his head when he saw Finnick, "You should really get a full night's sleep, Mr. Odair, no matter how tempting the parties are." He chuckled, but Finnick didn't even amuse him by joining in on the laugh.

He was in District 12 two days later, his stylist and Mags by his sides. Finnick couldn't remember the tributes from twelve, for they died the first day, and never talked to him; not that he'd wanted to take the time to get to know them.

He made his speech on the rickety old platform with a microphone that squeaked when he spoke. The only mentor that District Twelve had to offer was drunk for the whole thing, but when Finnick finished his speech, Haymitch Abernathy grabbed his arm, fighting to look sober. He looked the young boy in the eye, "You're going to make a fine mentor." He told him. Finnick wasn't sure why, but Haymitch's words comforted him more than anything besides Annie did. Maybe Finnick could save himself from Hell if he was able to bring a few victors home to his District.

Districts Eleven through Three swirled by in a blur. Finnick stood on all of their stages, looking into the eyes of the people he killed. The resemblance between a mother from nine and the tribute he killed was uncanny. She stared at him with the same wide eyes that her daughter did before he killed her. And here he was, standing in front of her and shoving her loss in her face.

Finnick didn't write his speech, his escort did that for him. It was all about power and strength, victory and sex appeal. It was arrogant and unsympathetic. It held no apologies. After he read it over, he decided that he'd say the words how he was taught, but he wouldn't think about what he was saying. He couldn't imagine the looks on the faces of those people. He didn't want to hear himself gloat.

He didn't stop in Four, that would be second to last, before he went to the Capitol. Finnick noticed the difference between Districts One and Two compared to the others. The people there were more like Capitolites than District people. The residents didn't have dyed skin or jeweled bodies, but they lived luxurious lives. All of them. There was no poverty for these people. This is where peacekeepers were made, and technically, it put them at an advantage in The Hunger Games. You weren't allowed to train for The Games, but in Districts One and Two, you started training to be a peacekeeper at the age of twelve.

They had more victors than any of the other Districts. The weirdest part was that they reacted to Finnick like the Capitol people do. Women screamed his name. They threw themselves at him. The men gave him wry, jealous looks as their wives and girlfriends swooned for the Victor from Four.

Finnick and Mags relaxed on the way home, drinking tea together on the train. Capri had written him a different speech for home. It talked about the water and the people, how happy he was to return to his District; how proud he was to be living in the Victor's Village. He didn't mention Vega.

Finnick didn't like the speech, but he knew he'd read it, for the cameras; because he didn't have anything else to say to his people.

His stylist dressed him, and then Mags and Capri led him to the stage. He hadn't stood on it since his name was called, and it didn't feel right to be up there. He searched the crowd for Annie, but there were too many people to find her.

Finnick said his speech. His District applauded and cheered. He gave them a smile and waved, "It was so nice to be home. I can't wait for my visit to the Capitol, but I'm looking forward to being home again soon."

Finnick slept the entire way to the Capitol. It wasn't because he wanted to or because he was told to. He was simply too tired not to. His body had reached a point where he wouldn't survive another sleepless night. Luckily, his mind was too far gone to form any coherent dreams. Instead Finnick swayed in the waves that were really a train.

Mags woke him up when they got to the Capitol, two days after leaving Four. He was so hungry, he gulped down a bowl of oatmeal, toast, a banana, and two pastries before the train pulled into the station.

He should have known better. Minutes after getting off the train, Finnick was ushered into a room where he changed into a tuxedo. Then he was escorted to an extravagant ballroom. Everything looked like it was made of gold. There was a band suspended above the guests, looking like they played in the clouds. There was one wall made of window, with brilliant red curtains pulled aside to reveal a breathtaking view of the Capitol.

Finnick had never seen a place like this. He walked towards the window and stared out. All of the buildings were solid, bright colors. The streets were the same, and cars raced across the cobblestone bricks. He looked down at all the people, rushing to go places and see people. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Finnick turned to see a woman wearing a short, black dress. He looked her up and down. She had skin dyed pale white, and the darkness of her dress made her look even paler. Her hair was so blonde it was almost white, and it reached to her lower back. She wore dark make-up that made her blue eyes piercing, along with red lipstick; or maybe her lips were just dyed that color.

Either way, Finnick was surprised. She was actually quite attractive. The iridescent party, and all the people who came with it, had Finnick a little overwhelmed. Everything was so perfect and neat. It was beautiful, ideal, like a dream. He didn't feel like himself, and he supposed he wasn't. Here, he was the Capitol Finnick. Here, he winked and flirted. Finnick gave the woman a seductive stare. "Yes, quite lovely."

She blushed, "You have no idea how honored I am to talk to you. I loved your Games." She smiled at him and he smiled back, "Thank you and the honor is mine."

He talked to this woman for a few more minutes before everyone was called for dinner. Finnick filled his plate with everything, ignoring the fact that he just ate. Everything looked too good. Each table held different options. There was a table full of soups, meats, cheeses, desserts and plenty more.

Finnick spent most of the hour at the dessert table, where another woman chuckled at him, "You got a sweet tooth, Odair?" She asked. He smiled politely at her, "Very much so," he answered.

When he couldn't eat anymore, he stood beside the dance floor, watching the couples twirl gracefully in their tuxes and big dresses. "Do you want to dance?" He didn't recognize the woman, but he accepted anyways. Her purple hair was pulled into a ponytail, and her skin held intricate designs made of jewels.

To Finnick's fascination, she sparkled under the lights as they spun. "Do you like it?" She asked, noticing that he was staring.

"It's very lovely," he complimented. She smiled, "thank you." He danced with this woman longer than he would have, had he not been lured by her shimmering jewels. She wasn't beautiful, but he could have watched the light dance and bounce around her all night.

Finnick greeted the President with a hard handshake. "We're so glad to have you, Mr. Odair."

"I'm happy to be here, Sir."

"Could we have a word in my office?" Finnick tensed; did he do this with every victor? Mags hadn't warned him that he'd ask to talk alone. "Of course, Sir."

Snow led him into a big room with a giant mahogany desk. The Capitol symbol was plastered on the wall above the desk. "Please, take a seat." Finnick sat down in the chair across from the President's. "What did you want to talk about, Sir?"

"Well, Mr. Odair, I'm sure you've noticed the appeal you hold for the women here." Finnick waited, letting him continue, "I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page, my boy."

"And what page is that?" Finnick asked. The President smiled at him, "That you keep them happy. You've done a great job so far, but let's keep it up."

"I'm not sure what you're asking of me, Sir."

"When you're here, when you're going to my parties, just give them some attention, dance with them, flirt with them, the same thing that you've been doing. I just wouldn't want any unhappy women on my hands. A lot of them are huge sponsors in The Games."

Finnick simply nodded, "I understand, Sir. I can do that." Snow smiled, "Good. I'm glad we're clear." Finnick heard him perfectly. It wasn't a suggestion that Finnick keep up his sex appeal. It was a threat. If those women were unhappy on Finnick's account, he didn't even want to ask what would happen to him, his family, Annie or her family; the people he loved.

"Is that all, Mr. President?" Snow nodded, "enjoy the party, Mr. Odair, you can go." His smile was warm, but Finnick saw through it. This was not a nice man. This was a cold-hearted man, who Finnick had the sense he had a right to fear.


	6. Poison and Wine by The Civil Wars

6. Poison and Wine

Three years went by. Finnick had occasional trips to the Capitol, requested by the President. His home in the Victor's Village started to feel more like his own. He still spent most of his days with Annie, swimming or spending quiet days in the sand. Those were his favorite days, when the two of them would go to the beach near his new home. They'd lay out a blanket and Finnick would rest his head in her lap while she read stories from ancient authors.

Annie's favorites were fairytales. Her mother had a few torn books that Annie had found. They told tales of princesses and knights and kingdoms in far off, perfect lands. Her favorite was the one about the mermaid because it reminded her of District 4. It tells of a young mermaid who falls in love with a handsome prince, but the prince marries a beautiful princess. The mermaid is offered a knife with which to kill the prince, but instead, she throws her human form into the sea and turns to froth.

Mermaids were old folk legends around her District. Parents pass the tales down to their children, and those children down to their own. The legends of mermaids in District 4 were of course, not real. It was just something people made up to help their kids sleep at night; happy stories of happy mermaids, or, to keep them out of the water when they were too young. The stories had always fascinated Annie, and when she was young, she used to spend hours on the beach, staring out to sea, hoping she'd see one's tail emerge from the depths.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Mermaids." Finnick laughed, not saying any more. They both sat in silence for a while. Annie, in her own dreamland, and Finnick thinking of her. The sun would be setting soon, and she'd have to leave him. "Will you read me another one?" He asked

"What would you like to hear?" She smiled, ruffling his hair. He thought for a moment, "A poem?"

"Your favorite?" She asked. He smiled, "Who else?"

Annie searched for their much loved, over read poem, focusing on finding the right page. Just like the story books, her mother's book of ancient poems was worn out and aged.

_ "Nothing is ever really lost, or can be lost_

_ No birth, identity, form—no object of the world._

_ Nor life, nor force, nor any visible thing;_

_ Appearance must not foil, nor shifted sphere confuse thy brain._

_ Ample are time and space—Ample the fields of Nature_

_ The body, sluggish, aged, cold—the embers left from earlier fires,_

_ The light in the eye grown dim, shall dully flame again;_

_ The sun now low in the west rises for mornings and for noons continual_

_ To frozen clods ever the spring's invisible law returns,_

_ With grass and flowers and summer fruits and corn."_

"Do you ever wonder what it was like to live in those times? When you could be free…free to love whatever you wanted to love, free to go where your feet took you?" Finnick asked

"All the time."

"Walt Whitman must have seen a lot of beauty in that world."

Annie nodded, "I'm sure of that." Finnick sighed, and mumbled under his breath, barely loud enough for her to hear, "O Captain, My Captain,"

Annie was sixteen years old, and Finnick seventeen. At this point, Finnick had realized what would happen to him when he turned eighteen. He'd be old enough to be sold. He'd be going to the Capitol more frequently, and Annie would be left home. There was no given time, not one certain point, when Finnick realized that he was in love with Annie Cresta. She crept up on him.

He knocked on her door, holding a bouquet of flowers he'd picked. Annie opened the door, and the smile that came to her face was breathtaking.

"You're home," she breathed, like she'd been waiting impatiently for him to arrive. She wrapped her arms around him. Finnick smiled, "I missed you." Annie pulled away, eyeing him suspiciously, "Are those for me?"

"Yes," he answered. She smiled, taking them and smelling them. "Come on in," she said, "I'll put these in water."

As Annie filled a vase, she thought about Finnick. They knew each other their whole lives, and she thought that it was painfully obvious that she was in love with him, but he never did anything about it. There was no given time, not one certain point, when Annie realized that she was in love with Finnick Odair. But when he was gone, the pain in her heart made that fact hard to ignore. She loved him. But it was hopeless. She was just his friend. Finnick had a line of women from the Capitol who would give anything to be his. Annie wondered which one of them Finnick loved, which Capitolite had his heart? Surely, they were all beautiful, and Annie knew that. They were exotic and experienced and sexy; whereas Annie was just his best friend. She sighed, knowing that being Finnick Odair's love interest was a lost cause.

"What?" He asked, smirking. She placed the flowers on the table, turning to him. "What?" she repeated him.

"That was a pretty miserable sigh." Her face turned red, and she broke his gaze, pretending to adjust the flowers, "Nothing." she hadn't realized she sighed.

"How was your trip?" She asked to distract him from questioning her farther. He scoffed, "Not as wonderful as being here," Annie raised an eyebrow, "Haven't met the love of your life yet?"

Now it was Finnick's turn to look away. "I don't know what you mean." She sat down beside him, "Oh come on," she teased, trying to play it off lightly, "there has to be a Capitolite who stole your heart."

"No," he said, "no one in the Capitol has caught my eye." She hesitated, "They're all so beautiful…I'd be intimidated."

Finnick looked her in the eyes, "You're more breathtaking than all of them combined."

Annie stared back, wondering if he meant it, or if he was just trying to be nice. "That's a lie." She finally whispered. Finnick's eyebrows pushed together, "Do you really think they're beautiful?"

"Of course. Don't you?" Finnick shrugged, "they look a little….alien, if you ask me." Annie laughed, "They are _exotic_." He grinned at her, "Same thing." Annie curled up beside him, and his arm wrapped around her. She rested her head on his chest, hiding her face. Finnick Odair wasn't attracted to the Capitolites. He found her more beautiful than them.

They sat like that for a long while, just remembering what it's like to be together. This was always their routine when Finnick came home. It was like they had to get to know each other again, catch up. "So what have you been up to?" he asked. Annie shrugged, "the usual. I took your brothers fishing the other day." Finnick chuckled, "Echo put up a fight; I'm sure."

"No, he and Kaye looked forward to it," she smiled, "they said they wanted to fish, just like their big brother. You should go with them soon."

"I'd like that. Maybe I'll take them tomorrow. I need to be back in the Capitol this weekend."

"I think they would too," she answered. His fingers grazed her hair, "Want to go for a swim?"

Annie nodded, "Yes," they both ran from the house, stripping their clothes off when they reached the sand. Finnick was in his boxers and Annie in her undergarments. Neither of them thought anything of it, they were too comfortable with each other to be self-conscious.

They both splashed into the waves, diving at the same time. When Annie surfaced, she let out a yelp. "It's freezing!" She cried as Finnick laughed at her, floating with his hands behind his head, "All my time in the Capitol has made me immune to it. I don't care how cold it is, I've missed the water,"

Annie wrapped her arms around herself, her teeth chattering. Finnick smirked, "Your lips are blue."

"So a-are yours-s!" He laughed, "Do you want to get out?"

"No," she answered stubbornly, not wanting to give him the satisfaction…or pull him away from the ocean when it was where he wanted to be. She lowered herself into the water, releasing an involuntary, shallow gasp as she did so. He swam over to her. "Don't be stubborn, Annie, come on, let's go get you a cup of tea." She shook her head, and he raised his eyebrows, "I'll make a fire." Annie bit her lip, picturing herself curled up with a blanket and a hot cup of tea while he made a fire.

"Do I have to drag you out?" His voice was incredulous. "I-I'll get o-out when you're r-ready to."

He smiled, "I'm ready, fish, let's go."

"No. We c-can stay, r-really, it's not that c-cold!"

"You're stammering, Annie. You win, okay? I'm freezing, let's go back inside." Annie looked up at him, not convinced that she'd really won. She knows that Finnick could stay in this water for a few more hours, swimming around happily. Her eyes narrowed at him. He sighed, and without a word, picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder.

"W-what are y-you doing!" She asked, wrapping her arms around his bare torso so she wouldn't fall off. "I'd rather you didn't die of hypothermia."

She didn't respond, knowing that her chattering teeth would confirm his words. He easily picked their clothes off the beach, still not putting Annie down. "Th-this is un-unnecessary, F-Finnick." She argued.

He put her down on the carpet inside the door to her home and quickly hopped across the floor to retrieve two towels. He draped one around his neck and unfolded the second. Annie stood with her arms wrapped around herself, still shivering. He enclosed her in the towel and rubbed his hands up and down her arms, warming her up. His eyes met hers, and she held them there, willing him to kiss her, longing for it. "Go put some dry clothes on, Cresta. You're starting to worry me." She smiled and headed for the stairs.

Annie crossed the room to her closet and chose a pair of sweat pants along with a heavy sweatshirt. She tied her wet hair into a bun so it wouldn't touch her skin. When she was finished, she went to another drawer and pulled out a sweatshirt that Finnick had left there a different time.

"I thought you could use this," she told him, coming down the stairs. Finnick turned and accepted the sweatshirt. "I forgot I left that here." He murmured. He smiled at her before going to change. Annie hadn't forgotten. She'd actually spent a couple of her loneliest nights in that sweatshirt, when he was away and she missed him.

Annie added a couple of sticks to the fire Finnick had started, grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders. Then she went to the kitchen and turned on a pot of tea. She took two cups from the cupboard and added tea bags to them.

Annie went to sit on the floor in front of the fire. She took a pillow from the couch to sit on. She put her hands in front of the fire, feeling it warm her body.

"Feel better?" Finnick asked from behind her. Annie nodded, "much better." The tea pot whistled and Annie started to get up, "I've got it," Finnick said, going to the kitchen.

He poured the cups and brought one to Annie. Finnick took another pillow and sat down beside her. "So," Annie started, "Why does Snow want you back in the Capitol so soon?"

Finnick shrugged, "I give him a lot of publicity," he rolled his eyes, "For whatever reason, people want to go to parties if I'm there." He said it like it was silly. Annie couldn't help but think that she was the same way; all she wanted to do was be wherever Finnick Odair was. Did that make her like the Capitol women? Was she pining after him like they were, when in reality, Finnick didn't love any of them? Was she as bad as them? Annie wasn't blind; she knew the Capitolites threw themselves at Finnick. She saw the way they looked at him, like they were undressing him in their minds.

Finnick was a different person in the Capitol. There, he would flirt back with them; he'd tease them and lead them on. Annie always pushed that from her mind. She'd convinced herself that he was only like that because he had a persona to keep up. When he was home, with her, he was a different person. He was loving and kind and thoughtful. She liked to believe that she had the real Finnick. But it wasn't like they'd ever talked about it.

Finnick and Annie always danced around the topic of Finnick's love life, or her own, for that matter; she wasn't about to pour her heart out to him. What if he didn't love her back? What if she made a fool of herself and lost him forever?

"What are you worrying about?" Finnick whispered, staring intently at her face while she stared at the fire. "I understand why they want to go to the parties with you," she shrugged, "You captivate them, they're intrigued by you," the smallest of smiles played on her lips, "you charm them, Finnick Odair." Her words were quiet and pained and Finnick couldn't figure out why for the life of him.

"Maybe." He answered simply, not wanting to talk about those stupid Capitolites. She nodded, accepting his answer as a yes. "And they charm you, too." She wasn't asking, it was a statement; even though it was false.

"They don't, Annie. When are you going to get it?" Her eyes darted to his face, "Get what?" he sighed, frustrated. "You're the one who captivates me." Finnick ran his hands through his hair. How could he tell the woman he loved that he was desperately in love with her, but they could never be? _I want you to know that I love you, Annie. The only problem is that in a year from now, I'll be old enough to be sold…kind of like a whore._

If she didn't love him back, he'd ruin their friendship. If she did, they'd both be in for a world of hurt in one short year…Finnick suddenly realized that he only had a year. He only had a year before his life was ruined; before he lost Annie. It was selfish, but he wanted her. He wanted to be hers, if only for a year. Didn't Shakespeare once write, 'better once than never, for never is too late'?

"You can tell me anything, Finnick."

It abruptly hit Finnick that he didn't want to talk to her. He didn't want to explain everything to her. His eyes glanced up to meet hers, and her deep blue eyes stared into his, questioning him, always curious.

He touched her face, running his hand across her cheek. Without leaving her eyes, Finnick held her chin gently and leaned towards her.

Annie's heart took off wildly, he was not doing this. Her mouth opened slightly in surprise, but his lips met hers before she could form any words. Finnick kissed her gently; she could barely feel his hand on her chin. It took Annie a moment to register what was happening, but when she did, she kissed him back.

It was the softest, sweetest kiss Annie had ever received; even if it was the only kiss she'd ever received…she knew it couldn't get any better.

She rested her hands on his chest, feeling the sweatshirt that she'd kept as a reminder of him. Finnick pulled away, meeting her eyes. She stared back with wide, shocked eyes. That was the only thing he could see in them. He'd surprised her.

"Why did you do that?" she breathed. Finnick shrugged, a little embarrassed. He still couldn't tell if she had wanted him to do that or not. "I thought I should at least try it once." That wasn't even half of why he'd done it.

He looked down at his hands, twisting his fingers together nervously, wishing he could see what she was thinking.

The problem was, Annie wasn't thinking anything. His kiss pushed all of her thoughts from her head. She couldn't even remember her worries from moments before. Only one thought was in her head, and she voiced it. "Do that again." she whispered. Finnick glanced at her quickly, surprised. He didn't object though. Instead he wound his arms around her and pulled her closer. Annie couldn't stop the smile as he kissed her again and again.

It finally felt right. When he'd almost kissed her years ago, when they were young and swimming, it felt like exactly that; they were too young. But now, everything felt perfect. His lips were soft against hers. She pulled away this time, trying and failing to control a laugh.

"What's so funny?" he asked, smirking. She just felt giddy. She couldn't remember ever being happier, than here, sitting by the fire with Finnick's arms around her.

"I'm just happy," she answered, still smiling. He put his forehead to hers, "I love you, Annie." He whispered.

Annie's smile grew wider, "took you long enough," she teased back. Finnick laughed, not answering, because he knew it was true. Despite being chased by all those Capitolites, he simply hadn't had the courage to tell Annie that he loved her. Her smile fell, and her eyes bore into his, "I love you,"

Finnick kissed her again, and when he pulled away, he had the most brilliant smile she'd ever seen on his face. "What? You can't be surprised!" She laughed. He took her hands in his, "Are you kidding me?"

"Hm," she mused, "I thought that it was dreadfully obvious."

"Not to me," They smiled at each other, "Well," Annie said, "now you know."

When Finnick left three days later, it was early in the morning, before Annie woke up. She went over to his house only to find that he was already gone. Hurt, she went back to her own home. She didn't even get to say goodbye.

Her mother was in the kitchen when Annie stumbled through the door. "He's already gone, huh?" she asked. Annie nodded, afraid her voice would break. Mrs. Cresta sighed, "Oh baby, he'll be home soon."

"I know," she whispered, "it's just hard." Annie's mother hugged her, "you love him, don't you?" Tears came to Annie's eyes. She nodded into her mother's shoulder.

Mrs. Cresta pulled away, "Why don't you go change, we can go into the square today and get a cake." Annie laughed, "For what?" Her mother shrugged, "It'll be a nice dessert after dinner. We can invite the Odairs over. I'm sure Kaye and Echo would love to see you." Without another word, Annie went up to her bedroom to change.

In her rush this morning, she hadn't noticed the sweatshirt. It was folded neatly on her dresser. She went down the stairs, "Momma, did you put this in my room?" Her mother shook her head, "No, isn't that Finnick's?"

"Yes."

"He must have left it before he left." Annie turned and went back up stairs, smelling the sweatshirt as she walked. It still smelled like him.


	7. All I Need by Mat Kearney

7. All I Need

Annie entered the abandoned cottage in a sense of wonder. It'd been three years since she'd been in here. Everything was covered in dust, the furniture unused in all those years; their new home in the victor's village supplied everything they needed. As she closed the door behind her, she took notice of the blue glow in the room, coming from the ocean and the rainstorm outside. As if on cue, thunder roared beyond the thin walls of the Odair's old home. Annie shivered, flicking the lights on.

She found candles in a drawer near the front door, and placed them around. Then she fished out a lighter and set it on the counter, in case the power goes out, she thought to herself.

Annie sat down on the couch, curling up in a blanket that smelled old. She didn't care though. She'd missed this place. Finnick and she used to chase each other around the island in the kitchen, only stopping when their mothers made them; chastising them for getting in the way of their cooking. Annie smiled to herself and went to one of the bookshelves.

If her mother loved poetry, Finnick's mother was a fan of old literature. The books on her shelves were dusty, making them look even older than possible. Again, Annie daydreamed about what it would have been like to be living the time that Jane Austen was alive; or William Shakespeare. Would she have appreciated their words as much as she did today? For some reason, she knew she would have.

She heard the door opening behind her, and she turned, a smile pulling at her lips. "Hey, handsome." She murmured. Finnick didn't answer, his face was eager, and he crossed the room in two steps. He grabbed Annie's face and met her eyes for only a moment before he kissed her. Her deep, stunning blue eyes looked surprised at his actions, but he didn't care. She'd looked so flawless standing at his mother's book case, smiling effortlessly at him. She was beautiful, and she looked like she belonged there, in the place he'd always know as home.

Annie pulled away, "Mm." she pushed at his chest, "Well hello to you too." He smirked, "Hi, fish."

She couldn't resist the smile on his face, and she returned one of her own. He touched her face gently, "How are so lovely?" He whispered. Annie rolled her eyes, "You just haven't seen me in too long."

"I won't argue with that." Annie's hands touched his, still holding her face. "Did you miss me?" She asked. Finnick scoffed, "is that rhetorical?" she smiled, "I missed you too. How was your trip?"

"It was fine." he answered coolly. "What are you doing in here? I've been looking for you everywhere. I was worried; it's not too nice out there." Annie glanced out the window, seeing the ocean light up with a flash of lightning. The waves were vindictive and merciless tonight.

"I'm sorry; I just wanted to come back here. Do you remember when I cut my knee on the bricks when I was seven?" she asked, gesturing towards the brick fireplace.

"I had to bandage you up, you wouldn't stop crying." He laughed quietly. "We grew up here," she said, "I missed it here."

Thunder echoed through the silence as Finnick stared into her eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but the power shut off, and they both stood silently still for a moment.

"I got some candles…" Annie said shyly, not sure if he'd want to stay in the dark or just get out of there. She hadn't been sure if he'd find her there, or if he'd even be home that night, but she had a feeling he would.

"I kind of like it like this," he whispered, as if not to disturb the peace. Annie glanced around; there was a blue glow again. But unlike before, it wasn't creepy. It seemed…romantic now; mystifying and dreamy. Finnick and Annie sat down on the couch. "I wish you'd said goodbye." Annie stated as she curled her legs up and leaned into him. Finnick wrapped an arm around her, placing the other hand on her knee. He sighed, wanting nothing more than to stay in this little abandoned cottage forever; unaffected by Snow or The Hunger Games.

"It was early; I didn't want to wake you."

"Thanks for the sweatshirt," she answered into his neck. Finnick kissed her head, "I wanted you to think of me."

"I don't need a sweatshirt to remind me of you…you seem to always be on my mind." She admitted, a little embarrassed. Finnick laughed, "Well, that makes two of us," he sighed, "Last time I was home…it only made me miss you more when I'm away." Annie didn't recognize the tone in his voice, so she lifted her head to look at his face, her eyebrows pushed together in concentration. He met her eyes evenly, and all she saw was pain.

She kissed his lips, and then pulled away, hoping that the expression would be gone. When it wasn't she tried again. This time he kissed her back, twining his hands in her dark mane.

Annie leaned closer, not wanting him to stop. His hands in her hair felt so comforting, and his lips against hers felt wonderful. When he realized that she was leaning toward him, he gently helped her and pulled her onto his lap. She shifted, putting her legs on either side of him and wrapping her arms around his neck. His hands were on her waist involuntarily.

Finnick pulled back, turning his head to the side and breaking the kiss. Annie only began to kiss his cheek. "Annie," he started, knowing he had to stop her, and himself, before things got carried away. He couldn't find the words though. He wanted her more than anything, and here she was, right on his lap, kissing his neck. He sighed, "Annie, stop,"

"Mm-mm," she mumbled, shaking her head back and forth. Annie wasn't sure where her confidence came from. It was nothing like her to do something like this. Maybe it was the fact that she loved him, and she knew that he loved her and thought she was beautiful. She kissed his neck again, ignoring his objection. Finnick let out a quick breath. "Please, Annie…don't,"

What was wrong with him? He wondered, that he would have no control to stop her, but instead sit there with shaky hands on her hips ad beg her to prevent the inevitable. It was a foreign feeling to him, to be completely at a woman's mercy.

"Why?" Annie whispered, "Why not, Finnick?" Her face was still at his neck, but she'd stopped kissing him, thank God. "We shouldn't…" Annie removed her hands from his neck, letting them fall limply on his chest. She was too embarrassed to ask him why they shouldn't, and too self-conscious to move. He didn't want her, at least not like that.

Finnick knew exactly why they couldn't. He would be sold to the Capitolites soon, like a piece of meat thrown at wild dogs. And Annie would be home, heartbroken by the coward who'd abandoned her.

Of course, there was nothing he wanted more than for Annie to be his first; but that would be too selfish to forgive. He'd never forgive himself, and she'd never forgive him, either.

Realizing that he wasn't going to continue, Annie started to disentangle herself from him. She took a seat on the opposite side of the couch, folding her hands in her lap and blinking back tears. He wasn't sure which would break his heart more, to love and then betray her, or to have her so far away at that moment.

"Annie, I'm sorry," he tried weakly. She shook her head, "its okay, Finnick." Her voice was hurt, and Finnick had to twine his own fingers together to keep from going to her.

"You don't understand, Annie…"

"No, I don't. But you don't want to tell me, so where does that leave us? Hurt and angry, Finnick. And just tired." Her last words were so quiet and drained; he couldn't keep from closing the space now. He slid closer to her, but still didn't touch her. "I know it's frustrating, and I'm so sorry." He sighed, "You're all I need, Annie."

She turned her head to look at him, "You have me." she whispered. Annie's tears ran silently down her cheek, mixing with the rain outside. He swiped them promptly away, "Annie…" his voice was gentle, "I'm so, so, sorry."

He kissed her softly, but that was dangerous. Annie kissed him back, turning his mind blank and sending the reasons for their not being together out of his mind. As she kissed him, he couldn't recall why it could possibly, ever be a bad thing for him to make love to Annie Cresta. She felt his smile under her lips, but didn't stop kissing him. Instead, she reached down to his shirt. With an unstable hand, she slowly undid his buttons, revealing his warm, tan skin underneath.

Finnick pulled at the strings on the back of her dress, and the two of them sunk to the floor, not realizing that they were doing so.

Annie woke in a tangle of blankets, not certain how they got there. Without opening her eyes, her hands slid across the cool covers, searching for him. Her hand touched something hard. Annie's eyebrows furrowed; a book? She opened her eyes and looked around. Finnick was nowhere in sight. She picked up the book without reading the title, turned to the page that he'd marked, obviously for her to read. Annie's eager eyes skipped the title and everything else on the pages besides the words he'd highlighted.

_And so it lies happily_

_ Bathing in many_

_ A dream of the truth_

_ And the beauty of Annie-_

_ Drowned in a bath_

_ Of the tresses of Annie._

Her eyes flew across the page to another verse that Finnick had highlighted. She sat up this time, pulling the blankets up to cover her bare body.

_But my heart it is brighter_

_ Than all of the many_

_ Stars in the sky,_

_ For it sparkles with Annie-_

_ It glows with the light_

_ Of the love of my Annie-_

_ With the thought of the light_

_ Of the eyes of my Annie_

She recognized the poem. It was called _For Annie_, written by Edgar Allen Poe. And it was the poem Annie was named after.


	8. Dark Paradise by Lana Del Rey

8. Dark Paradise

Finnick pushed her against the wall, kissing her neck as she tugged at the waist of his shirt. She pulled it above his head, and they smiled at each other. He kissed her lips, leading her towards the bed.

She lay down on her back, and Finnick climbed above her, "tell me a secret," he mumbled to her. She laughed, "What would you like to know?" He removed his face from her neck and looked into her oversized eyes. She wore dark mascara that separated her eyelashes into three sections. Her skin was purple and her lips a shade darker. He touched one of the giant, pink circles that were tattooed to her cheeks.

"Anything you have, that's my price, lover." He smirked at her and she smiled back. "The president killed Saab Hackett last week." Her voice cracked, but she continued, "Some people think that he drank his blood afterwards," she mumbled. Finnick wanted to run, or vomit. If this was true, Snow was more twisted than he imagined.

Finnick finished his assignment, and hurried to the train early the next morning. He sighed as he lowered himself into his seat. He always felt so dirty after his 'assignments' It was like he could never get the feeling of them off of him, no matter how many showers he took. Finnick always tried not to think of Annie until the train ride home. What was she doing? Who has she been spending her time with? It might be irrational, but Finnick always had moments of panic when he travelled home, afraid that Annie would find someone new while he was away. He feared that she'd find someone worthy of her, and realize that she didn't belong with him.

His train pulled into district four, and he went straight home and took a shower, a long, long shower. He washed his hair and body at least five times, trying to get their scent off of him.

He had other things to worry about anyways. The reaping was today. When Finnick was finished, he got dressed and left the house with wet hair, desperate to find her. He checked the beach first, and then her house. He knocked on the door and her father answered. "Finnick, my boy!"

"Hey, Iver, is Annie home?" Mrs. Cresta came to the door, wiping her hands on a towel. "Oh, Finnick, I'm so glad you're here! Come in, come in, and don't just leave him standing there, Iver!" She pushed them both into the house. "That's very nice of you, Holland, but I was actually just looking for," He stopped, seeing her sitting on the couch with a book in her lap. "Annie," he finished in a breath of relief. She smiled at him, and Holland and Iver smiled at each other.

"Come on, Iver, help me with the soup." Annie was dressed for the reaping, wearing a navy blue dress that reached her knees. It has embroideries on it, and she wore a pair of white high heels. Her shoes matched the baby's breath flowers in her hair. "You look beautiful," Finnick said.

"It's a special day." She replied. Finnick sat down next to her and took her hand. He leaned his head back against the couch and closed his eyes, finally able to relax and feel how exhausted he was now that he saw her.

"Tired?" she asked.

"Yeah," he answered simply. He always shied away from talk about the Capitol or his visits there. Luckily today, Annie had other worries on her mind. "You'll be okay, Annie." He said without opening his eyes. Finnick squeezed her hand and she sighed, "You don't even have your eyes open, Odair, how could you possibly know I'm worried."

"Are you joking? I know you like the back of my hand, Cresta." Despite her nervousness, she smiled at his words. "I know you do." He opened his eyes so that he could see the smile that he'd heard in her voice.

"I love you, you know that?" Annie nodded and kissed his cheek, "I love you, too," she whispered in his ear before pulling away. Annie rested her head on his shoulder with a sigh. She wrapped both of her hands around his strong arm and pulled her legs up. He toyed with the bottom of her dress.

"I don't want to go," she admitted. He kissed her head, "I know, fish." There was nothing else he could say. She had to go; he had no power over it.

When the time came, Finnick walked with Annie and her family to the town square. He didn't leave Annie's side until the last second when he had to be on stage. "I'll see you when this is over," she gave him a weak smile and he nodded. Finnick walked away without another word.

Capri came on the stage wearing blue. Her skin was still green, though, and like every year, Finnick felt uncomfortable being close to her. Despite the time he spent with her during his Games, he didn't like her. She tapped on the microphone. "District four, how lovely it is to be here again." Silence.

Capri cleared her throat. "Alright, let's get to it, then, shall we?" Finnick could hear her high heels clicking across the stage as she went to the girls' bowl. She smiled at the audience as she put her hand in and pulled a slip out.

She crossed back to the microphone. "Annie Cresta!"

Annie stared at her. It was all she could do. She just stared. "Come on, darling, don't be shy?" Capri laughed. Annie somehow managed to move her feet, maybe someone pushed her forward but she wasn't sure. Her eyes were large, and they never left Capri and that slip of paper in her hand. District four was a Career District. Kids trained for the Hunger Games here, despite it being illegal. And yet, here she stood. No one jumped up to take her place this year. Maybe they wanted to see what would happen to her. Maybe she was just unlucky; and no one was ready to volunteer this year.

Either way, her head was still spinning as she took her seat. For the first time since her name was called, Finnick came to her mind. Her eyes met his, and she saw a person sitting there that she hadn't seen in a long time, never seen face to face, actually. Finnick became the boy he was when he was fourteen and in his own Games. The look in his eyes was villainous, deadly. It took her a moment to realize that it wasn't toward her that Finnick radiated his hatred. It was just in general, the world.

She held his gaze, hoping that she could convince him to calm down with her eyes. It wasn't working. Annie worried that the Capitol people would wonder why he stared at her that way, why he looked so menacing. "Now for the boys!" Capri opened the slip of paper she held. "Phoenix Cook!"

Annie tore her eyes away from Finnick. Phoenix was Finnick's age. Annie knew of him; he was cocky, selfish…and he trained for The Games.

Phoenix met Annie's eyes and he smiled at her. To her surprise, it wasn't a vicious or threatening smile. It was friendlier. She stared at him, confused. Surely, he'd only done that to throw her off. Maybe he'd be nice to her, treat her well and make her feel comfortable, and then he'd gladly be the one to kill her.

She shook her head and stood as he reached her. He held out her hand and she took it. She smiled at him now. Her smile wasn't vicious, threatening or friendly…it was…flirty. _Ha_! She thought._ No one messes with a Cresta._

Phoenix raised an eyebrow at her, taken aback by her. "Ladies and gentlemen of District four, I give you your tributes!" Capri shouted, holding up both of their hands. The crowd clapped, but no one was excited; no one cheered. No one ever did.

Annie knew that Phoenix was well-liked around the District. He wanted to go into The Games, eager to prove himself and start a new life in the Victors' Village. But Annie understood something that Phoenix didn't. Not everyone could come out of the arena and live happily ever after. And even when they did, it was always a dark paradise.


	9. Just Breathe by Pearl Jam

9. Just Breathe

Annie's room on the train felt claustrophobic. It was a tiny square that had two doors, one that led into the hallway and one to the bathroom. There was a window on the wall opposite of the bed, but the world spun by so quickly that it made her feel worse than the small space. She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself as she dragged her hands through her hair. _Alright, get a hold of yourself, Cresta. This is happening. _

A knock on her door made her jump. When she opened it, Mags stood outside her door, "Dinner's ready," she announced. Annie nodded, "Okay," she followed Mags out, closing her door on the way.

When they reached the table, Finnick and Phoenix sat across from each other silently. Phoenix had his head hunched over his plate, shoveling food into it. Finnick glared at him, not eating. He smiled when Annie sat down next to him. "How are you?" he asked. Annie shrugged, and busied herself with filling a plate.

"Annie," Phoenix gestured towards her with his fork, "you've gotta try this. It's not like anything we have in District Four! It's amazing!" He said with a mouth full of food. Annie suppressed a smile. He was trying to get in her head, under her skin.

Despite that fact, he was right. The meat was seasoned and grilled. Annie had only ever tried chicken a couple of times in her lifetime, around Christmas once or twice. It was rare in District Four; just like fish would be rare in District Eleven. She didn't voice her pleasure at the taste though; afraid that Phoenix would think she was warming up to him, liking him, trusting him.

They ate in silence until Mags apparently couldn't handle it anymore. "Alright, look, we all know why Finnick volunteered. And we all know that I volunteered for him. It's not fair to you Phoenix, and I don't know what should be said in this situation. So, if there's anything you'd like to say…please."

Phoenix's eyes shifted from Mags, to Finnick, and then back again. Finally, they settled on Annie. "I know you're both trying to bring her home," he shrugged, "I've been training, I think I stand a good chance," he hesitated, "no hard feelings."

Annie's eyes narrowed and she brought her hands together on the table, leaning towards him. "What's your game?"

He didn't respond right away, but when he did, his eyes were open and honest, "I'm just trying to win, like I know you are."

"It doesn't bother you that Mags and Finnick are your mentors? When you could have had someone who would help you more?"

"I've been training. I think I stand a good chance." He said again, his voice a bit edgier than the first time. Mags interrupted their glares, "Phoenix, I'm still going to help you. When you get in there, I'll do what I can to keep you alive. But if it comes to you and Annie, you need to understand that I choose Annie…for Finnick's sake."

"Yeah about that," Phoenix started, leaning toward Annie, putting his face inches from hers. "What is with you two? Are you a couple? What's the deal?"

"That's none of your business," Finnick snapped. Annie didn't acknowledge him, she just kept staring at Phoenix. "I think I have a right to know, if I'm going to die for it." Phoenix replied without taking his eyes off Annie.

"Yes," she said simply. He nodded, "Fine. But if she dies, I want your support Odair."

"Fair enough," Finnick's voice was a low growl. He and Annie both knew that he probably wouldn't be much of a help to anyone if she died, but they didn't mention it. Finnick felt a little uncomfortable sitting there. He couldn't tell if Phoenix's closeness to Annie was filled with hate or…desire. He looked at her weird, he finally decided.

He didn't look at her like she was someone to kill. Maybe he was just underestimating her; having fun flirting with the girl who he thought would probably die on the first day. That seemed most likely.

"You'll both be in the Career pack this year." Finnick said. Annie whipped around to face him now, "What!"

"You heard me, Annie."

"You expect him to be in an alliance with me, to protect me, when we just told him you and Mags are trying to save me over him?"

Finnick nodded, "That's exactly what I'm saying. You'll both be safer with them; at least until the top ten, then you can do what you want. If all six of you survive the bloodbath, stick together, you'll both have a better shot of surviving if you team up when the alliance turns."

"You've got to be kidding," Annie argued under her breath. The last thing Phoenix Cook would do was protect her. He was probably going to put the knife in her heart himself the first chance he got. Being with the Careers was always tricky. There was no way to tell when they'd turn on each other, or how many would survive to make it to the top ten. More often than not, all six did. But it wasn't a guarantee, and with all these elements in play, Annie couldn't see how it was a good idea.

Finnick walked her to her room. Annie opened the door and entered, throwing her sweatshirt on the chair. Finnick hesitated, not sure if she wanted him to close the door or sit with her for a while. She started to strip her clothing off, and he glanced away. "What are you doing?" He asked into the floor. Annie glanced at him, "putting my pajamas on, were you just going to stand there, or are you coming in?" She asked, impatient and angry. He closed the door behind him with a sigh and plopped down on her bed.

He waited, staring at the ceiling while she dressed. When she finished she climbed into the bed beside him, "Sorry," she mumbled, "I know you know more about it than I do."

"He'll protect you, Annie."

"How are you so sure?" She asked, curling up to his side as he wrapped his arm around her.

"I could tell. He won't be able to kill you himself. If you survive the first day on your own, he'll be there for you." Finnick's voice was so positive and sure that Annie almost believed it. "You can't know that."

"I'd bet on it. He's charmed by you, Cresta. I can tell by the way he looks at you." Her mouth fell open, "you are not saying that he _likes_ me."

Finnick shrugged, "maybe. I think he's more…intrigued. Either way, I think we can trust him."

"He's the last person we can trust! If I die, you help him. Why would he try to save me?"

"He knows that was a lie. Anyone would. I don't know," Finnick stopped, shutting his mouth. "You don't know what?" Annie asked.

"I don't know what I'd do if you were gone." Annie's hand clenched his shirt, "I need you to believe in me, Finnick. I need you to not think like that." His arms tightened around her, "Of course I believe in you," he hesitated, "I'd bet on you, Cresta," he repeated the words she'd said to him when he was reaped. She smiled, kissing his shoulder, "Good,"

"I think you should have this back though," he held out his hand and Annie eyed it suspiciously. She opened her own, and Finnick quickly tied it around her wrist instead of giving it to her. She looked down at the rope as tears welled in her eyes. After all these years, he'd kept it. And kept his promise; to give it back to her if there ever came a day when she needed it.

Annie's tears fell freely now, for the first time, as she sat cross-legged on the bed. Finnick encircled her in his arms and gently pulled her down, resting her head on his chest. Throughout the night, he murmured words of comfort in her ear and stroked her hair. "Just breathe, Annie," But the tears didn't stop.

She needed it though, just one night to let everything go, to let herself feel sorry for herself.


	10. City of Devils by Yellowcard

10. City of Devils

"Ivory, are you sure I should be wearing…this?" Annie gestured at her outfit. Ivory nodded her head, "Oh yes, Miss Cresta, and you'll look great out there." Ivory was her stylist, she was a tall, exotic looking woman. She wore clothing that hugged her every curve. Her skin was a natural color, but she had tattooed designs circling her body. Ivory's hair was a dark purple, and it was flat, hanging in a loose braid almost to her knees.

She continued in her strange, high pitched accent, "You need to make an impression, not be mediocre." Annie sighed, not arguing. She knew Ivory was right.

Annie looked back in the mirror. The contraption she wore was made of seaweed. It wrapped around her neck, and then down to her breasts, then the seaweed made a short, tight skirt around her waist, and finally, it twisted around one leg.

It was hardly even an outfit, but Ivory used a special spray that held everything in place. Her hair was down and curly, and she wore the rope Finnick gave her around her wrist, refusing to take it off. Her high heels looked like they were made of seaweed too, but they were sturdy enough. "Are you ready?" Ivory asked. Annie took one more look in the mirror, wishing someone would have warned her that they were going for a 'sexy' approach. She didn't feel sexy. She felt ridiculous.

Annie sighed in relief as soon as she stepped into the hallway, seeing that Phoenix looked just as uncomfortable as she did in his own atrocious costume similar to hers.

Phoenix took her hand easily, leading her towards the entrance. Annie took deep breaths, trying not to think about the crowds that were just beyond the doors. Phoenix squeezed her hand, not saying a word.

She knew that she could trust him, and she remembered how he'd helped her into the Career pack, well, both of them. He did most of the talking, explaining that they would be joining them this year. Annie was quiet, but she made sure to look above it, bored and uninterested in them.

Annie could see Finnick standing across the room, talking to a few other Victors. She was worried about him. He was so tense, so focused. He barely slept, and spent most of his time talking to sponsors or studying the other tributes.

"He'll be okay, you know." Annie looked up at him, a small smile on her face, "Am I that obvious?"

"No," he answered. Finnick saw her then, and she had to look away when his eyes widened at the sight of her. She wasn't sure if she wanted to hang her head in embarrassment or laugh. Phoenix released her hand and sauntered off to talk to District One as Finnick came over.

"What has Ivory put you in?" He asked, incredulous. "I think I'm supposed to be going for sexy," Annie answered, looking down at herself. She was the same height as him in these heels.

"I wish someone had run that by me," he said, a nervous look coming to his eyes. "Why would they? You're supposed to keep me alive in there, not worry about how pretty I look before."

"I'm still your mentor. Everything you do affects your game." Annie raised her eyebrow, "I think this outfit will _get_ me sponsors, not turn them away." Finnick looked away, not wanting to admit what he was thinking. He wasn't worrying about her getting sponsors; he'd have that handled no matter what. He was more concerned with what would happen to her after The Games, when she won. He knew better than anyone what happens to Victors who appeal to the Capitol. He looked her up and down again…and _this_ was surely going to put her in the same position as him.

"I need to talk to Ivory." Finnick mumbled and then wandered off; not bothering her with a goodbye. Annie shook her head, what was wrong with him? It was like having her in the Capitol made him nervous. He didn't touch her in public; in fact, he made sure not to even accidentally touch her. Was he ashamed of her? Did he not want the Capitolites to know they were together? She sighed, seeing that District Two was going through the doors in their chariot. Annie's heart took off, in about ten minutes; she'd be out in front of all of them…wearing seaweed. "Oh god," she groaned to herself.

Phoenix appeared beside her again, "You look great." He said, smiling at her. "Really," she replied, "You think so? Because Finnick just ran off to talk to Ivory about how sexy doesn't work for me."

"I'm sure that's not what he's doing."

"He doesn't seem to think it's my angle." Phoenix shook his head, "look, don't worry about it right now." Annie laughed, "You're right. I should worry about all those people seeing me like this!" she panicked in a hushed tone.

"Annie," Phoenix took her by the shoulders, "Relax." Annie sighed, training her eyes on his. "Okay, I'm fine." she lied.

He released her, and went to take his seat in the chariot. Annie couldn't move her feet to follow him, she was frozen as District Three left. She could hear her own breath rising quickly, and the next thing she knew she was being dragged into a small, vacant hallway. "What are you doing! I have to be out there!"

Finnick kissed her before she could continue. He didn't release her until he felt her muscles relax beneath his hands. When they did, she twined her fingers into his hair. He hadn't even kissed her since she was reaped, he realized. That fact made it extremely hard to pull away, but he forced himself to. "Get out there, fish, you look amazing." He kissed her nose. Annie still didn't agree, but she felt calm enough to not care. Had she known that kissing Finnick was all she needed to do to feel tranquil; she would have been doing it since Capri called her name.

Finnick lifted her easy into the chariot as the doors open, and she folded her hands in her lap. Phoenix draped his arm over the seat, and smiled. Annie did too, and they both waved at the crowds. Annie pretended there weren't so many people; she focused her mind on home, instead. She thought about what her mother would be saying right now, watching her prance around the Capitol barely wearing any clothes. It made her smile bigger. She'd hate this. Her father was probably huffing and puffing about it. She could see Finnick's mother covering Kaye and Echo's eyes. That made her laugh, and she could see Phoenix eyeing her suspiciously. She gave her head a slight shake and continued to wave.

When their ride was over, they went back into the room they were in before, most of the tributes left right away, but the Careers stayed, claiming their fearlessness. Annie had been doing her best to not focus on the others' faces. She didn't want them to become familiar. "Well, that was fun," Egypt purred. She was the tribute from two, and like Annie, her game was sexy. To Annie's dismay though, she actually achieved it. The six of them hung around until all the other tributes were gone, and then they went to the elevators.

Finnick waited there for them, and Egypt seemed to like that quite a bit. "Well, Finnick Odair," she said lazily, "Were you waiting to come up to my room?" Finnick laughed, "No, just waiting for my tributes."

"Well you know, if you ever wanted to, you're welcome." Finnick hesitated, not sure if he should make a joke of it; not sure if _she_ was joking. "That probably wouldn't be a good idea." He said, leading Annie and Phoenix to the elevator without giving her a glance. "Why not?" she droned.

Finnick didn't bother to answer; instead, he closed the door with the three of them inside. "Do they always talk to you like that?" Phoenix asked, "When you mentor I mean…the tributes?" Finnick shrugged, "Ones like that do; the ones who aren't worried about dying. There's one more tip for you two. Never get too confident. Don't underestimate your opponents. They will, so you need to be smarter."

None of them spoke the rest of the way up. Fortunately it was a short ride. Phoenix went off towards his bedroom with a wave over his shoulder. "Goodnight." Annie murmured.

Finnick walked her to her door like he'd been doing, but unlike the other nights, he hesitated in the doorframe, his arms crossed. "Are we talking now, like actual, genuine people do when they care about each other?"

He sighed, "Of course I care about you. I've only been so busy because I care about you so much…too much." Annie turned to face him, "you don't even touch me out there. You act like you could care less if I die or live."

"That's the person they expect, Annie. They expect a heartless, smug bastard who would rather stare at himself in a mirror than worry about any of this."

"Why are we getting any sponsors at all then?"

"Because," he hesitated, "the Finnick Odair that they know is a smug bastard who likes winning."

"What about the real one? Mine?"

"Well, he's sorry that he hasn't been there for you. But he loves you a lot, and wants to bring you home." Annie closed her eyes, "I'm sorry." She whispered. When she opened them, Finnick was dragging his hands over his face, leaning on the doorframe.

She stepped closer and wrapped her arms around him, "I'm sorry," she repeated. He sighed, "Don't apologize. You have every right to feel any way you want."

"I feel," she whispered, bringing her face to his, "like I want you to stay with me tonight." Finnick sighed for the third time, "I can't." Annie frowned at him, "Why?"

"I need to go meet with more sponsors, get them locked in to support you." Annie rested her forehead on his, knowing she couldn't argue with it. "Are you getting Phoenix some too?" He nodded "Yes. Most of them agree that if you both survive the first day, they'll help you; both of you."

"Good." Finnick kissed her, "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" She nodded, "thank you, Finnick. I really appreciate all of this." He gave her a tired nod and turned to leave.


	11. Annie by Safetysuit acoustic version

11. Annie

Annie sat impatiently in her dressing room, waiting for Ivory. She heard a knock on the door, "Come in," she called, eyes wide as she stared at the carpet, biting her fingernails. She didn't look up at her visitor. She was going to be interviewed in a few short hours, probably not wearing many clothes. The chariot rides were one thing, all she had to do was wave and smile. Now she actually had to talk…coherently. She sighed.

Finnick's hands pulled hers away from her face, "Don't chew your nails." She laughed hollowly, "You sound like Ivory."

"Where is she?"

"She's getting my dress. She should be back any minute." Finnick hesitated, "look at me," he told her, and she did. "Relax, Annie."

"I can't do this. I can't be sexy."

"Unfortunately you're going to have to. If Ivory had checked with me before putting you in that…thing, we could have gone with a different angle." Annie frowned, "its one thing for me to say that I have no sex appeal, it's weirdly offensive coming from you." Finnick laughed loudly, "You know what I mean."

She sighed, about to respond when the door opened. Ivory blustered in, a dress bag draped over her shoulder. "Alright, Odair, you'll see her later, I've got work to do." Finnick nodded seriously and left the room. Ivory unzipped the bag and Annie's jaw dropped. The dress was a sparkling blue made of sequins, strapless, and floor length. The hanger it was on showcased a seashell necklace, earrings, and hairpins.

"It looks like a….a…." Annie mumbled. Ivory smiled, "A mermaid." She finished. Annie nodded, her jaw still slightly opened.

"Well come on, dear, let's try it on!" Once Annie was in it, she turned to the mirror. The dress made her look sexy, she couldn't help thinking. It hugged her body perfectly. Annie turned, noticing that it had a slit up her leg, reaching her thigh. She sighed, "Oh my god, I look like a mermaid." Ivory laughed, "Yes yes, we know, that was the point. Just wait till we do your hair and make-up!"

Ivory wasn't kidding. She put dark liquid eyeliner on Annie's eyelids, highlighting the green. Annie could faintly remember her mother doing her make-up like that for a party once when she was young; she'd called it _bedroom eyes_. How fitting. Besides the eye make-up and some red lipstick, all Ivory put on her was glitter. It was a dusty glitter that sparkled across her skin when she moved. And it covered every inch of exposed skin. Next, Ivory did her hair. She pinned the front part back intricately, forming braids and weaving it around itself and the shells, finally letting it all fall behind Annie in long, dark locks. She pulled loose strands to frame her face and then dusted some of the glitter into her hair.

Annie stepped into her shoes and then stood before the mirror. She looked so different. It was nothing like herself. Phoenix's voice called through the door as Annie twisted and turned in front of the mirror, fascinated by the mythical creature gleaming in front of her. Ivory opened the door for him, but Annie couldn't stop watching her skin sparkle, her dress throws light around the room.

"Wow," Phoenix breathed. "You look like a…a…"

"I'm a mermaid," Annie finished. Phoenix laughed, and Annie noticed that he wore a plain black and white suit, but his tie was the same material as her dress.

"Are you ready?" he asked. Annie pressed her trembling hands against her legs. Would she ever be ready? Would she ever feel prepared to go into that arena? Instead of answering, she looked back into the mirror. Annie tried her best seductive look, and decided that with everything she was wearing, it wasn't very difficult. That relaxed her a little.

"Let's go," she answered finally. Finnick and Mags leaned against the wall in the hallway, talking closely. They both looked up as the tributes came toward them, and both of their jaws dropped. Mags pulled herself together first, and she laughed, "I've got to admit, I don't think any of my tributes have ever made my jaw drop before. You look sensational, Annie." Annie smiled at her and thanked her before training her eyes on Finnick. He had only slightly composed himself, and Annie stepped towards him, practicing the sexy thing.

Her eyes lazy as she looked into his, she touched his chin, gently closing his mouth for him. Annie spoke in a low, deep, sultry voice, "try not to stare, Odair. You might give people the wrong idea."

Finnick stammered for words, but Annie only laughed, "How was that?" He gave her a disapproving look, "maybe a little too good?" he asked. Annie nodded seriously, moving her hand from his jaw to hold his hand. Finnick smiled down at her, "You've got this."

"It's not very hard when I'm in all of this," she gestured down at herself. Then she looked at Ivory, "you did an amazing job, Ivory, thank you so much." Ivory seemed a little thrown by Annie's politeness, probably not used to it. "Oh, you're welcome." She replied.

Phoenix and Annie were rushed into the waiting area, and they watched as the other tributes had to give Annie double takes. Annie wanted to test it…before she went out there and made a fool of herself. So she approached Thorne, the boy from One, as he poured himself a glass of water.

"Thorne," she said in her same sultry voice she used with Finnick. She didn't touch him though, taking Finnick's advice to tone it down. She watched as he gave her an uninterested look, and then choked on his water. "Annie," She raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. Thorne put his glass down, "you look…wow."

She smiled seductively at him, "Thank you."

"I see you're going for the sexy strategy." Annie shrugged, "not really my choice."

"Right, well, I hope it um, works out for you." She smiled at him again, "Good luck with your interview," she said, placing a friendly hand on his arm. Thorne looked down at her hand, and Annie thought that she could see him gulp. He smiled weakly and then turned and walked off. Huh, Annie thought. That was easier than she'd thought. If she could have the same effect on the Capitol, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. "If you're finished terrorizing the Careers, it's time for you to get in line." Annie rolled her eyes, "I was hardly terrorizing him."

"No," Finnick answered, "you were just seeing if you could make him nervous; mission accomplished. He'll probably be a nervous wreck in his interview." Annie rolled her eyes again, "Oh please, don't be so dramatic, he'll be fine."

"Don't be defensive,"

Her eyes narrowed at him, "Don't be jealous,"

"I'm not jealous," he laughed. Annie cocked her head to the side, "then what are you?"

"I just don't want you to be seen this way. I don't want them to look at you like some kind of toy; like a piece of meat."

"Is that how you think they see you?" When he didn't answer, she continued, "Because I don't think that's how it is. I think they see you as some kind of God," she laughed, "They look at you like you put the stars in the sky."

"You don't know anything." Finnick snapped. Annie nodded, setting her drink on the table before she stepped closer to him. Finnick's immobility had nothing to do with her sex appeal in that dress. She met his eyes with a hard stare, and then sauntered off without another word. He hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath, but he released it when she was out of sight.

"She does too, you know." Finnick turned to look at Mags questioningly. Mags pointed after Annie, "_she_ looks at you like you put the stars in the sky."


	12. Running Up That Hill by Placebo

12. Running up that Hill

Finnick took his seat beside Mags. One hour until Phoenix and Annie would be in the arena. They both had a hefty amount of sponsors. They were with the Careers. They got along with each other. Finnick knew that his tributes trusted each other, which was uncommon unless you were a Career. Even still, Finnick couldn't picture either of them killing the other. _That_ was uncommon; actually, it was unheard of. Killing your District partner was not honorable, but being a Career was an excuse. There are countless Games when the final two were from the same District, always Careers. When you lived in District One or Two, killing one of your own was more praised than frowned upon. Finnick could remember a Games he watched when he was eight or nine, the Careers had taken out their competition; along with some help from the Gamemakers. But in the end, the two tributes from District Two found themselves alone, the last two standing. The girl had smiled at her partner and said, "Well we've fought side by side this long, it only seems fitting that we find out who's stronger." She ended up killing him, a knife in the back. Finnick scoffed under his breath, how poetic; she was his partner, and she put a knife in his back…literally.

"What?" Mags asked. Finnick just shook his head, bringing himself back to the present. He couldn't see the arena yet, not until the tributes were in it. But there was a screen that he and Mags could watch. They offered two chairs, but most Mentors took shifts watching out.

Two lights turned on his dashboard. Phoenix and Annie's trackers were in. The chips allowed Finnick and Mags to see their location, and if another tribute was within one mile of them, a blue light would turn on, indicating that tribute. Besides that, he'd have no idea where the others were. Each District got their own section of the room, and each little cubical was the same, just the information was different.

They also received a long list of gifts to send, everything from water to the most expensive medicines.

Half an hour left. Since Finnick had nothing else to check with the equipment, he let his mind wander to Annie. Her interview had gone perfectly, and even gained her a few sponsors. Caesar had asked her questions about home, the Capitol, her life. Annie had answered them honestly enough, but she was mysterious, making people wonder about her. She flirted with Caesar and the audience, and even got a few whistles when she winked at them. He thought about how his heart had stopped when Caesar asked him about her all too distracting Mentor.

_"So Annie, I think you're living out just about every girl's dream! What is it like to spend every day with Finnick Odair?" _Annie laughed, _"Well, he's a really nice guy, a great Mentor, he and Mags both are. I'm really grateful for all their help."_

_ "I'm sure that Finnick is having a hard time keeping his eyes off of _you_, Miss Cresta! What did he say about your wardrobe tonight?"_

_ "He said I didn't look half bad." _Caesar and the audience had laughed, knowing it was exactly what the Finnick they knew would say. He smirked in his seat, wondering how Annie had managed to know the Capitol side of him as well as the real him.

In short, she had surprised Finnick.

He wasn't worried about her not being sexy; he worried that she'd be too nervous to pull it off. Bust more than anything, he hated what was going to happen to her. Because he refused to consider that she wouldn't come home, he comforted himself by assuming she would. It wasn't a very healthy way of thinking, but his mind was already daydreaming about going home with her. And now she'd live the same life he did.

Finnick had to restrain himself from punching a sponsor last night. A man had approached him with one thousand dollars; he'd pulled Finnick aside and said, "I want to sponsor Annie Cresta. If she makes it out, I have some ways she can thank me," The man winked, handed him the envelope and walked away. Finnick was glad for that, because if he had stayed to chat, Finnick didn't think he would have been able to stop himself. Annie was his. He could see it in his head, those old, wrinkled hands touching his Annie. He could see the way that creep would smile and wink at her. Finnick shook his head, _she needs to get out of the arena first; focus on that, Odair_.

Mags patted his shoulder, only ten minutes left. He took a deep breath, knowing that his tributes were going to run straight into the battlefield. He wished that he could see them.

Underneath the arena, Annie bit her nails. Ivory slapped her hands, "Stop it, you'll start to bleed."

"I can't do this." Ivory held her hands tightly, "You're a Career. Your chances are much better. You have Phoenix. He'll protect you." Annie sighed, she trusted Phoenix one hundred percent. He had talked his way into the Career pack, and included her in the plans. He'd stuck up for her when the others questioned her seven in training, the lowest of their alliance. He comforted her after they left, telling her that he wouldn't let them turn on her. And she believed him. Trusting him was either going to save her life or be the death of her. But then again, they both couldn't win, so it didn't matter much.

"Are you ready?" Ivory asked, pushing the button to open Annie's little cylinder to go up to the arena. She sighed, ignoring her shaky, sweaty hands. "I don't really have a choice." Annie took her place, and Ivory closed the cylinder, blowing a kiss as Annie ascended.

She stared up at the approaching ceiling nervously until it opened up to a blue sky. As soon as her head was above ground, she looked around, finding the faces of her alliance before anything else. Phoenix was six tributes away, Thorne was right beside Annie and Egypt was two down on her right. Beside Egypt was the girl from One, Luna, and a few more down from Phoenix was Grimm, the boy from Two.

10.

Annie leaned forward, ready to run.

9.

She watched as Grimm, Phoenix, Thorne, Egypt and Luna did the same.

8.

Finnick sat in his chair, hands clenched to the table.

7.

Annie focused on the Cornucopia on the other side of the field.

6.

She spotted the weapon that she'd mastered well enough to earn a seven.

5.

The other members of her alliance set their sights on what they needed.

4.

Mags placed a hand on Finnick's tense shoulder.

3.

Annie watched as the boy from District Eight stepped off his platform.

2.

One dead. The proof of that was splattered on her face.

1.

Annie took off running.

She pushed the boy from her mind, moving her feet as fast as she could. She reached the pile of knives faster than the others. Thorne probably would have beaten her there had he not had to take the time to clear his eyes of blood from District Eight. She wrapped the belt around herself and armed herself with a pair of six inch knives.

Grimm stood at her side holding a sword. She couldn't see Phoenix, but she could hear him rummaging through the weapons. The others avoided Annie and Grimm; instead they grabbed back packs and ran. Egypt stepped into Annie's view, a bow and arrow raised to her eye. She aimed at the girl from nine and shot. It landed on her leg and she fell to the ground. Having her on her knees, Egypt aimed at the heart and landed her target.

Annie let her mind go blank and focused on her competitors. She let her instincts kick in, and viewed anyone in throwing distance as a threat to her life. She ended up killing two people. Phoenix killed two more. Besides the girl from nine, Egypt only caused a few injuries. _Huh,_ Annie though, _I guess she's not as good when the targets are moving. _Grimm killed one, Luna and Thorne didn't kill any. The rest of the tributes took to the woods.

Seven dead, six of them caused by the Careers. After the Careers got their traditional camp set up at the Cornucopia, they dug through all the backpacks. The Careers split everything into piles inside the Cornucopia. There was a food pile, a weapons pile, a survival supplies pile and a medicine pile. They threw the empty backpacks into the back of the structure, saving them for when they would need to go out with supplies.

They ate as they watched the Capitol symbol appear in the sky. They listened to the anthem, and then watched the faces. Annie had killed the boys from Six and Ten. Their faces would be in her nightmares, for sure. Now that her brain was back on, all she wanted to do was curl up in a little ball and cry. But she had to be strong.

Phoenix killed the boy from Seven and the girl from Eleven. Grimm got the girl from Six and of course, Egypt the girl from Nine.

Annie couldn't help but think of how ironic it was that District Four had the most deaths of their hands. The rest of them had given them such a hard time about being in the alliance. They didn't speak to each other, but as Annie settled into her sleeping bag, curling up to Phoenix's side, she couldn't get their faces out of her mind. If she'd been thinking like Finnick was, she never would have cuddled up to Phoenix.

The other Careers gave each other weary looks. They hadn't known the tributes from Four were so close. Finnick sighed, running his fingers through his hair. The still had a steep hill to climb up, no, to run up. These Games were going to be short, he could feel it.


	13. Ghosts that We Knew by Mumford and Sons

13. Ghosts that We Knew

_Seventeen left_, Annie thought as she woke up before the sun. She wondered if and when she would die. Who would do it? How would it happen? She hoped that it would be quick, maybe it would come down to her and Phoenix, and she'd get off easily. She sighed, turning over away from her partner. All of the others were asleep besides Luna, who was keeping watch.

"I can take over if you want a couple more hours." Annie offered. Luna just nodded and then threw herself into her sleeping bag. Unless she was faking, Annie was surprised at how fast she fell asleep.

She sighed. This was going to be hard. Impossible. She'd never see her mother or father again. She'd never feel the waves on her feet. She'd never run her fingers through Finnick's hair as he read her poetry.

Annie thought about the night before getting in the arena. Finnick had stayed in her room, and they hadn't spoken the whole night. When the morning came, Annie felt at peace. She lay across Finnick's chest with his arm around her. She could hear his heartbeat, and the sound made her able to accept her impending death. It was a selfish moment of clarity. Annie had come to terms with the fact that she probably wouldn't make it out alive. Instead of voicing that, she'd sat in the stillness. She knew that if she tried to tell Finnick what she was thinking, he'd be upset.

When Finnick woke up, they said their goodbyes. He'd taken her by the arms and kissed her softly. She'd smirked at him, "what, that's all you've got?"

"I'll see you soon." Finnick had said sternly. Annie kissed him again anyway, harder, like it was the last time she'd get the chance. When she pulled away, his eyes narrowed at her, "You don't plan on coming home, do you?"

"Of course I plan on it. I'm not a quitter Finnick; I'm going to fight in there." He seemed reassured by her words. And she wasn't lying, she did plan on fighting, she just didn't believe that she'd win the fight. He'd kissed her hand, and then the rope bracelet on her wrist that they'd come to know as both of theirs.

"I'll be right there waiting for you when this is all over." He'd whispered. Annie had nodded, "I just want it to be over."

She wouldn't get to see him again unless she won. He wasn't allowed to wait with her, only Ivory was. So that was their goodbye, and as she sat beneath the tree, she frowned. It wasn't a very good goodbye, especially if it was the last time she'd see him.

Annie heard a noise coming from the bushes to her right, and she pulled a knife from her belt. She heard it again. It sounded like an animal, and she approached the bush, prepared to kill it. To her it looked like a bird at first, and then she noticed the teeth. It had a thin black coat, and its teeth hung from its mouth. Annie stumbled backwards. Whatever kind of mutt it was, she got the feeling that it was more deadly than she wanted to test.

Grimm was sitting up in his sleeping bag when she came back. "Where were you? I thought you were looking out." He accused. Annie motioned to the bushes, "we need to stay away from there. There are mutts. It's some kind of bird with canine teeth, it looked pretty lethal."

Grimm just nodded, "Stay at your post next time, Four." Annie suddenly wished that Phoenix were awake. The way that Grimm spoke…she could tell that he had no trust in her. And in the Hunger Games, there was no room for people you didn't trust. So why was she still alive?

Maybe it was only Grimm who didn't trust her, and he knew the others would kill him for betraying them. She sat down in her spot and Grimm turned over to get some more sleep.

"I think we should go out looking for some of them." Thorne said as the Careers sat around a fire that night. Only one death today. The girl from District Three was in the sky tonight. They knew that the Capitol citizens would be getting anxious or bored. More people needed to die. Annie sighed, "I think he's right. We need to have some kind of action or the Gamemakers will interfere. And if that happens, one of us could die." _Maybe __**that's**__ it_, Annie thought. Maybe Grimm didn't want to kill her because it'd turn an alliance of six into five. There were still ten other tributes out there.

"Alright," Egypt agreed, "let's get our stuff and get going, then."

The Careers took off with weapons and torches in hand. The boys wore the three pairs of night goggles they found and the girls followed their lead. It didn't take long to come across a campsite. There was a figure curled up under pinecones and leaves, obviously too afraid to make a fire. Annie pushed the pity out of her system and raised a knife. Luna lowered Annie's throwing hand. "I need to get this one." She explained.

The Career side of Annie understood perfectly. Luna and Thorne were the only ones without kills, and Thorne obviously had nothing left to prove. Luna raised an ax. Despite Annie's Career head, she had to look away when the ax left Luna's hand. She heard the crack of the ax connecting, and she heard the scream that followed. Thorne swore under his breath, "You couldn't have hit her head? That scream is going to tell everyone where we are!" The figure stopped screaming and stopped writhing.

Then the cannon sounded, and Luna retrieved her ax. "Okay, let's go." She said. The others followed her away so they could pick up the body.

"Let them come," Grimm said, answering Thorne's previous complaint. "Maybe we can end these Games a bit quicker."

"Who'd you kill anyway?" Egypt asked. Luna shrugged, "the girl from Twelve."

"Fourteen left to go." Grimm muttered. The rest of the Careers glanced at each other, there were fifteen left in the arena, meaning that Grimm was already planning out his alliance's death. _Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to kill him now_, Annie thought.

As the Careers walked back to the Cornucopia, they heard two more cannons. "I wonder who that was." Egypt said.

"Maybe the Gamemakers weren't satisfied." Luna suggested. Thorne jeered, "As long as it's not us who they kill."

"We won't see until tomorrow night," Phoenix reminded them, "maybe its best if we lay low till then."

"Why?" Thorne looked dubious.

"Because we don't know who's dead and who's alive. The boy from Eleven could still be out there, and we can't just prance around the woods."

"I'm not afraid of him." Thorne answered. Phoenix hesitated, "I'm not either, but I think it's smarter to wait until we see who died before we go out looking for them again."

The next night they learned that District Five was dead. Annie sat beside Egypt on the ground as they ate. She made sure she knew where Phoenix was at all times, because she didn't trust any of the others.

Thirteen left. _That's an unlucky number_, Annie mused. She thought about her mother and all the superstitions she believed in. Her mom was a huge advocate of black cats and ladders and all of that.

Annie glanced up to find Phoenix again; she'd gotten into a habit of looking at him every couple of minutes to make sure everything was okay. Right now, he was on his way down to the lake with Luna, to fill up the water canisters.

Annie thought about Finnick. Was he watching her now? Was he impressed by her game? Was he surprised? Was he proud of her? Did he still look at her and think of her the same way even though she had the blood of two innocents on her hands? Annie's stomach churned at the thought. She'd been suppressing her emotions, her humanity since she got into the arena. It was like it was a dream, like the things she did in there weren't really her, like she was watching through someone else's eyes; someone deadlier, more dangerous and toxic. It scared her that she wasn't sure who she was anymore. All her life, she'd never been detached or emotionless. But here she was, with two ghosts and plenty of other nightmares.


	14. The Ice is Getting Thinner by Death Cab

14. The Ice is Getting Thinner

Grimm, Luna, Thorne and Annie sat quietly by a warm fire, eating and organizing their things. They were preparing to go hunt the others again tonight, now that they know who died. Annie armed herself with her knives and a canister of water.

Finnick sat in his chair while Mags slept in hers. He leaned forward towards his screen, hands locked together tight. The boy from District Eleven, Clash, was less than half of a mile from her. He took a deep breath, if they all stuck together, no one but Clash would get hurt. So why did he have a sinking feeling in his stomach?

Clash was close enough to be watching them, and he probably was. Finnick swore under his breath, wishing that he could see the kid instead of a little blue dot. Finnick seriously considered walking by Eleven's station, but that was against the rules and he'd probably be banished from the room. _And that would leave Phoenix and Annie basically mentor-less_. He gave Mags a quick glance. She was out cold; her head resting on the desk, mouth opened.

"I wonder what's taking Luna and Phoenix so long." Egypt wondered. Grimm shrugged, "Maybe they're getting some oysters." Egypt nodded, and the four of them stood silently and waited.

Finnick noticed the blue dot moving out of the corner of his eye, and saw that it was Clash. He was heading towards the water…where Phoenix and Luna were. Even though that fight would be two against one, Clash would have a surprise advantage…and he was probably stronger than both of them combined.

He needed a way to tell Annie, warn them. But how? The dot was getting closer to his tribute. He nudged Mags, who woke up instantly. "Clash is heading for Phoenix and Luna; they're by the water and he'll sneak up on them. We need a way to tell Annie."

"Send Annie water." Finnick knew it was the only way, even though it didn't make sense. If he sent her water, she would think it strange since Phoenix was getting it. It was a pretty abstract way of thinking, but it was his only hope. Clash was almost there. Finnick punched in the numbers and a small can of water fell to the arena moments later.

Finnick watched as Grimm pointed it out, and Annie frowned at the sky. It fell in front of her, and she looked at it for a moment. It had a number four on it, so she picked it up. Annie showed the others. "Why would he send me water?"

"Doesn't he know that Luna and Phoenix are out there now?" Thorne replied. Annie's brows pushed together, "I don't understand, Finnick," she muttered, staring at the tin. Finnick ran his fingers through his hair.

The others didn't look concerned, "maybe your mentors just think you look too thirsty to wait." Egypt offered. Annie shook her head; she wasn't even thirsty at all.

Annie dropped the container and ran. The others followed, but yelled for her to stop. "What is wrong with you!" "Are you crazy!"

"Something's wrong!" She shouted back. Annie's feet didn't stop. She could hear the others falling behind, thinking she'd gone crazy. "Come on, we have to help them!" She encouraged over her shoulder. The others gave each other wary looks, but continued on.

They were only a few minutes away when they heard the scream. "Luna!" Thorne bellowed, picking up his pace. Grimm and Egypt sped up too, realizing that maybe Annie wasn't going insane. The cannon made Annie stop dead in her tracks. And Thorne nearly took them both to the ground. "Don't stop, keep running!" He hollered at her and Annie obeyed.

Annie broke through the trees first, not being cautious. She plowed towards Phoenix's figure, on his knees by the water. When she reached him, he was covered in blood. Luna's body lay on the ground in front of him, and a cleaver was etched into her chest. Annie shook Phoenix's shoulder, "what happened!"

He looked up at her, and his blood spattered face was empty. The others reached them and Annie heard their gasps. "It was Clash. He came out of nowhere! One second, we were searching for oysters and the next thing I know she's screaming, and he's….killing her with that," he motions to the cleaver.

"Why didn't he kill you?" Egypt asks. Phoenix shakes his head, "I had my pick ax out, and we could hear you guys coming."

"Why didn't you chase him?" Egypt asks. Annie glanced at her; she seemed suspicious of his story. As Annie looked at Grimm and Thorne, they had the same expression on their faces. "Alone? You wouldn't have known where we were, and he would have killed me if I'd chased him!" Phoenix was frustrated. Annie ran a calming hand through his hair that the others glared at.

_Something isn't right_, Annie thought. "Look, let's just go back to camp so the hovercraft can get her, we'll talk about it there." Phoenix gestured towards his clothes, "I want to clean up first." Egypt's eyes narrowed again, "You said you were digging up oysters…why are you all bloody?"

"She didn't die right away…I…I stayed with her." This only made his story seem more like a lie to the Careers.

"Come on," Annie said, pulling Phoenix to the water, "I'll help you clean up." As Phoenix and Annie scrubbed at the blood staining his skin, Annie mumbled under her breath, "We need to go. They don't trust us."

"I agree, let's take off tonight while they sleep." Annie nodded, and the two continued their work on cleaning him. When he was better, Annie took his hand and led him out of the water. He bent down to pick up his clothes, and Annie stepped back so she could wring out her hair without getting him all wet again.

He smiled at her when she met his eyes again. She smiled back. If she couldn't win these Games, she hoped that he did. She hoped that he could go home and live out his life in the Victor's Village. Maybe he could think of her once in a while, but never in a nightmare.

She glanced over his shoulder, noticing that Grimm was behind him. She gave him an odd look.

And then the sword he held caught the light of the sun. "Phoenix, no!" She shouted, louder than anyone should yell in the arena. He spun around quickly, but he only had enough time to look at Grimm in horror.

And that expression was still on his face as his head rolled to Annie's feet. Hadn't he just been smiling a moment ago? She couldn't feel anything as she stared down at him. She couldn't bring herself to look away or run or scream or cry.

Grimm's laugh brought her back, and she stared at him. He wiped his sword in the grass, while Thorne and Egypt stood uncomfortably behind him. Annie's feet reacted before her head did. She ran for the forest, more afraid of Grimm in that moment than anyone who could be lurking in the woods.

She didn't stop until she reached a small cave, and once there she threw herself to the ground and let out silent sobs. It was all happening too fast. She was not a Career. Phoenix was dead. His head was cut off by Grimm. But wait, he couldn't be dead, there wasn't a cannon!

Or was there? Had she missed it? She wanted to scream. But now she had to be quiet, she had predators out there that could kill her easily. Clash was still out there, and wasn't he the one who caused all of this?


	15. What You've got to Say by The Subways

15. I Want to Hear What You've Got to Say

Finnick paced back and forth in his section. "Sit down," Mags instructed. Finnick shook his head without speaking to her or looking at her. She sighed, "Finnick, drink some coffee, we knew they both couldn't win."

"Did you _see_ her? Did you see her _face_?" Finnick asked, staring at his Mentor now with wide eyes. Mags pursed her lips, "She'll be okay. We just need to focus on getting her out right now, and you're not helping if you won't even come over here and watch." Finnick took a deep breath and obeyed Mags, knowing that she was right, she usually was.

"She's never going to get over this, Mags." Finnick whispers, watching his only remaining tribute as she rocks herself back and forth on the floor of a cave. "No one ever does." Mags replies. Finnick sighs again, frustrated, "you know what I mean. Look at her, she's…she's gone-"

"Don't you dare say it." Mags snapped at him. Mags had only ever used that tone with Finnick once. When she was training him and he assumed that he knew more than she did. He'd waved her off, rolling his eyes as she tried to explain the importance of water and shelter. Mags had grabbed him by the hair and forced him to look her in the eye. "You listen to me, kid," she'd said, "I've lived through that arena, and then watched countless children die in it. Don't think you know better than me; you'll die with that attitude."

Finnick stared at the screen now, thinking about how Phoenix was kind of like he was back then. Hadn't he said, _"I've been training; I think I'll stand a good chance,"? _Phoenix wasn't nearly as confident or pigheaded as Finnick was, but he could see the similarities. And now he was dead.

Finnick let out a frustrated grunt, "That was one of the most brutal deaths I've ever seen, Mags. Of course it had to be in Annie's Games. Of course it had to be her partner. Of course his head had to roll…" Finnick trailed off, the vivid picture in his head again. It's been three days since Phoenix died. The Gamemakers haven't done a thing. No one has died. The whole drama with Clash and Phoenix and Grimm still has the Capitol talking.

Annie has been locked up in her cave since then. Luckily he was able to use Phoenix's money on Annie. Finnick and Mags sent her a sleeping bag and blanket; and food every day.

Annie's been eating and sleeping okay, but she's just going through the motions. She eats so she can live; she sleeps in the hope that her subconscious will create happier visions. When she is awake, all she can think about is Phoenix. She plays the last ten minutes before his death over and over again in her head. But when she is asleep, sometimes she can see Finnick. She can see his face, smiling at her. She can feel his arms around her and hear him whispering to her that she'll be okay. She wants that more than anything; to hear Finnick say that she'll be alright.

Other nights are not as lucky. Sometimes she wakes up screaming, sweating and crying. And then she has to bite her lip until it bleeds to keep from giving her hiding place away.

She hasn't stepped outside of the cave, afraid that Grimm would be waiting to cut off her head with the sword.

Finnick can no longer see the Careers, which is maddening. Before he only had to look out for Clash. Now he has to worry about three others trying to kill her. He knew that the Gamemakers would be intervening soon unless something happened. At this point, he wondered if that would be better. At least Annie had a little hide-out. If she were to go up against Clash or the Careers, Finnick wasn't sure she could keep it together long enough.

Finnick's eyes darted to a single blue dot coming into view. It was near the lake. He stared at it, his hands clenched tight against the table. It indicated District 11. Clash. He was a mile away. Why would he go back there?

Finnick's heart sank when the dot started to move again. He shook Mags' shoulder, a little too hard. She slapped his hand away, "I see it!" He didn't look at her, just watched the dot. "How is he doing it?"

"I don't know," Mags' voice was low. "She wasn't very careful…she may have left a trail, footprints, broken twigs."

"You think he could pick up on it and follow it?" Finnick's voice was disbelieving. Mags shrugged, "It's the only reason I can think of." The two Mentors watched as Clash followed Annie's trail towards the cave.

Mags got out the book of gifts, "what are you doing?" Finnick asked.

"I'm sending her a knife." Finnick watched her for a moment, "she has knives, Mags."

"It's to warn her, Finnick." Finnick nodded, not saying another word. He wasn't sure if Annie's mind was…there…enough to comprehend the meaning behind being sent a knife. He doubted that she could fight Clash when she was in her right mind. And now she was broken and he was on his way for her. Finnick stood up quickly and swore, loudly. To think, moments ago he'd wondered if a fight would be better than the Gamemakers' plans. He took his chair with both hands and flipped it across the room, "Damn!" He hollered.

All of the other stations looked at him. Most of them were confused; nothing was wrong as far as they knew. He looked over at Eleven's station and saw the wide smile on Chaff's face. Finnick swore at him, too; only making Chaff laugh. Finnick shook his head and went back to his station. He placed both hands on the table and leaned forward. Annie was staring at the knife in her hands from Mags.

"Come on, Annie," Mags whispered. They could both see the wheels turning in their tribute's head. She hadn't put it together yet, but at least she was thinking. Neither of them knew what she would do with the information if it clicked for her, but they waited anxiously anyways.

Annie turned the knife over in her hands, wondering why Finnick thought she'd need another knife. She had a stack of them in the back of the cave, out of her view for now, since the sight of them made her want to use one of them on herself.

Was he saying that she should…take herself out of the game? Even the crazy Annie knew that wasn't right. If Finnick thought that she should give up, he wouldn't be sending her food to survive every day. So what was it then? The water her sent her days ago was a warning. He was trying to tell her that something was wrong with the water Luna and…Phoenix were getting. Or that was what she'd thought. She thought that Finnick was trying to tell her that the water was unsanitary.

So what could a knife mean? Annie thought about the Careers, they saw what direction she was going in. They could be hunting her, and the knife was Finnick's heads-up.

Annie scrambled to the back of the cave and frantically gathered the other knives. She readied them all in her belt and then crouched down at the mouth of the cave. If they were coming, she needed to be prepared to kill them before they could get close. If they got close, she'd be outnumbered. Annie hesitated, what if she was outnumbered? Then she'd die. She'd be out of the arena and safe forever. She wouldn't be tortured day and night by her own mind. She wouldn't be in constant pain and confusion.

Annie shook her head quickly, knowing that if Finnick knew she'd considered letting them kill her, she'd break his heart.

She readied two knives in her hands and peered out of the cave. She knew a predator was coming. She would have an advantage, being hidden in the cave. She'd see them first. She could throw knives at them before they even noticed her. She glared at the forest until she heard what she was waiting for. Footsteps. Someone was running. The sound came from the west, and Annie angled her knife in that direction.

Annie had to hold in a gasp when Clash came barreling through the trees. Annie sent a knife into his shoulder and he cried out. He looked right at her, and she landed another one into his chest. He glared at her, but only took another step toward her. Annie's heartbeat was wild, he had two knives in him and he still walked forward. _This boy isn't human_, she thought, throwing another knife into his chest. He staggered back this time; it was closer to his heart.

Annie threw another knife at him as he tried to pull the third one out. This time she aimed for his head.

Her knife, the one Mags sent her, settled right between Clash's eyes, and Annie let out a cry as he fell onto his back. She killed him. The Career Annie came out, and she just killed the strongest player in the Games. What had Clash gotten? A ten? And Annie had a seven. _It just proves that anything goes in this place_, she thought.

Annie had put four knives into her opponent. It took her four knives to kill Clash. But he was dead. Ten more left. Nine more deaths and Annie was home free. She shook her head; one death was the only person she'd trusted. And she has nine more to endure before she can get back home, where Finnick and her family and the ocean are. Annie didn't bother getting the knives. She had four more, and the ones she used were not worth seeing his dead face.

Finnick sat back in his chair, impressed and awed by her. She was in no position to even walk outside of her cave, yet when instincts kicked in, when her life was threatened; she took out her strongest competitor. He wanted to know what she was thinking. He wanted to know how she felt. But more than anything, he wanted to hear what the Careers had to say when they saw Clash's face in the sky. Would they know it was her and go after her? Or would they shrug it off, figuring only the Gamemakers would have been able to do it? Careers were arrogant. Finnick wondered if Grimm, Egypt and Thorne would overlook it, assuming only the Gamemakers or the Careers could have taken out a contender like Clash. They obviously were neglecting Annie as a competitor; they let her run off into the woods and didn't bother killing or chasing her. _But they were wrong,_ Finnick thought, _Annie Cresta stands a chance._


	16. Return to Me by Matthew Ryan

16. Return to Me

Annie woke in a haze. Clash's body was gone, and she wondered what the Careers thought happened to him. She glanced around her, trying to find what awoke her. When she realized how silent it was, she sat up in her sleeping bag. Something was wrong. It was too quiet. The birds and bugs weren't singing.

Then she felt it. The ground shook beneath her, and Annie panicked. She clutched her sleeping bag and released shallow, short breaths. What was that? The ground silenced again.

Annie had a vague memory of sitting in a classroom when she was young. Her teacher was explaining what the shaking ground meant. What was it called? District 4 didn't prepare very well for these things; they never experienced them. Annie shut her eyes tight and focused.

_It's an earthquake!_ She thought, but now, what had her teacher said to do during one? How were you supposed to protect yourself? Where were you supposed to go? Annie let out a frustrated sound as she pulled at her hair. None of that mattered, she was in an arena, and this wasn't a natural earthquake. She felt the floor rumble again.

The Gamemakers were trying to force her to go somewhere. Annie's eyes snapped open at a new sound. _What is that!_ She screamed to herself in her head. It sounded like…water. Annie scrambled to her feet and out of the cave. It was loud, like a waterfall. Was there a waterfall near her? Wouldn't she have heard it before? The water sounded fast and rough.

And then she saw the wall of it coming towards her from a distance. A wave? She thought.

Annie's eyes widened when she realized that it wasn't a wave. It was a flood. She turned on her heels and ran in the other direction. She was going towards the lake…towards the Careers. Had the Gamemakers planned this? Annie had a gut wrenching feeling that this flood wasn't planned. _The earthquake caused it!_

Annie looked over her shoulder; the water was a lot faster than she was, and it was much closer. She was obviously a good swimmer. But water like this could be deadly to anyone. The rapids were swift and strong. There was no telling where it would take her or what it would throw her into. She picked up her pace, realizing how much it hurt. She'd barely moved in days.

She reached the lake as the sun was just starting to come up, but the wave was almost crashing down on her. The Careers were there, filling up their water. They dropped their weapons and tins and jaws when they saw the wave. None of them even noticed Annie running from it.

The water enveloped all of them. Annie got turned around so much that she wasn't sure which way was up at first. When her eyes adjusted underwater, she noticed the trees and swam for the tops of them. Annie grabbed the top of a tree and held on, gasping for breath.

She could see Egypt and Grimm a few yards away; both holding on to the same tree for dear life.

The water was rising, and she debated if she could climb higher to avoid it, or let the water carry her off somewhere else. She wasn't comfortable being so close to Grimm, so she let go. The water dragged her away from the Careers. She wasn't sure where Thorne was, but she was willing to risk it to get away from Grimm.

Annie found another tree and grabbed onto it. She was out of the Careers sight, but she doubted they would worry about her.

The water was rising. It was at her chest now. Luckily the rapids were calming though; there was nowhere else for the water to go. By now it had probably touched both sides of the arena and was calming, taking the shape of the space. When the water reached her chin, and Annie couldn't climb any higher, she let go and swam. She wondered how many were dead. Surely, not all ten of them could swim. She'd probably just missed their cannons through the roar of the tide.

Annie tread water, she could see a few heads bobbing across the water, but she was far enough away. The fact that the Gamemakers weren't draining the arena confirmed her idea that this flood was an accident. She'd never heard of them flooding an arena before. It was too much of an advantage for District 4. Annie smiled to herself, she had an advantage now.

She heard the cannons this time. Four of them. That meant that there were still six swimming around; unless she'd missed any before, which she guessed she did. There was no way to tell how many died earlier.

Annie never slept, but she floated on her back to keep from drowning. She stayed in the water for hours. Snow, Seneca and the Gamemakers obviously knew the Games were going to be over soon; the Capitol seal appeared in the sky later that morning. Eight died today. Annie didn't even have to think to know who her last competitor was.

Grimm had somehow managed to stay alive. He was probably out searching for her now.

Annie was tired, but she wasn't moving. It would be hard for Grimm to sneak up on her. She periodically searched the horizon and under the water. She knew that he'd be looking for her, knowing that the two of them were the only ones left. He'd want her dead as fast as possible.

When she finally saw him, he was only a mop of dark hair floating towards her. He was clearly tired. Their eyes met, and he looked like he was ready to pass out. But he kept coming towards her. Annie dove under the water quickly, going in the opposite direction. She swam longer and faster than she ever had before. She checked for Grimm when she came up for breath. He was still behind her. But he was no match for her in the water. Annie very simply _out swam_ him. It was probably the worst final battle in the history of the Games.

As Annie swam beneath the water, she saw a ladder come down in front of her and she barely had enough time to stop without hitting it.

She clutched both hands to the bottom rung, and some kind of energy held her perfectly still, which was a strange feeling in the water. The ladder brought her into a hovercraft, and Annie felt so tired, it was like she was already dreaming. Her eyes danced around the people in white suits and finally rested on him. He was walking towards her with a towel open. When Finnick reached her, he wrapped the towel tightly around her, and then wrapped his arms around her even tighter. "I knew you could do it. I knew you would return to me." When Annie didn't reply, Finnick gently lifted his face to look down at her. To his surprise, she was asleep; her head resting on his chest, still standing on her own two feet, she slept.


	17. Further to Fall by Dan Craig

17. Further to fall

When Annie woke, all she could see was the blinding white light. She blinked, and the brightness turned into fluorescent lights above her head. Annie felt the aching in her arms and tried to move them. She looked down in horror at the bars that restrained her. They held her to the bed at her arms, torso, and legs. Annie moaned; she had to get out of this trap. Someone might find her here, she's a sitting duck! Annie struggled against the bars until she created bruises and blood.

She heard a bell from a distance, and she sat perfectly still. A moment later, a tribute wearing a white coat and mask walked into the room. Two more followed. Annie thrashed against her restraints, desperate to free herself. She guessed that it was Grimm, Thorne and Egypt, here to finally get her. Annie couldn't see them, but she started to feel tired, the room grew dimmer, and she knew that they'd given her some kind of poison. Why would they kill her like this? The Careers never show pity or sympathy and this seemed to be merciful; to kill her so quietly.

Annie opened her eyes again hours later to the same light, and soon, the same fluorescent bulbs. This time, she could feel that the restraints no longer contained her body, and someone held her hand. Annie sat up quickly. Too quickly. Her vision was blurry, and she saw dark splotches all around the room. Despite that, she focused on the boy who still had her hand.

"Hi, fish." He whispered. Annie flopped from the bed and into his lap. He caught her easily and wrapped his arms around her. She didn't speak, afraid that her own voice might wake her up. Finnick smiled down at her. Instead of smiling back, Annie reached up with both of her hands to examine his face. She touched his hair first, feeling the softness that was so familiar. Next she moved her hands to his eyes. She traced his eyebrows as she stared at his sea green eyes. Annie gently touched his nose, the little dimple he had, only on his left cheek. Her fingers fumbled over his lips, so perfectly shaped to fit her own. She met his eyes again, and he stared back.

"I thought I was going to lose you." He whispers. Annie pushes her eyebrows together, confused, "Where am I?"

"We're in the Capitol. You've been staying in the hospital for a few days."

"When do I go home?" Annie asks, her hands still resting on his face. Finnick turns his head to kiss her palm. "Soon. We need to get through an interview with Caesar, and then you'll be home safe."

Ivory dressed Annie for the interview in a short dress, still blue, but this one was a light blue, almost green; like the color of the water back home. Annie sat down in her chair beside Caesar. He smiled at her and she smiled back. She had that feeling again, like she did in the arena. She felt like she wasn't herself, but instead she was watching some woman who looked like her.

"Miss Cresta, how lovely to see you again."

"It's nice to see you too, Caesar."

"Your winning was probably the greatest underdog story in Games history. What was going through your head when they lifted you from the water?"

"I was pretty confused and tired. But I was glad to be going home."

"Your time in the arena was very much like a rollercoaster, was it not? First you start off strong, two kills in the bloodbath, tight with the Career pack. Then you had a bit of a down point for a while, but you got right back up. I've got to say, when you killed Clash, my heart stopped. It was such a shock! That was when I realized how strong you are!"

"Well thank you. I was quite surprised too," the audience chuckles in unison as she continues, "I did what I had to do to survive, Caesar."

"Indeed you did. When the dam broke, I wished I'd put money on you!" Annie smiled politely, "that was a surprise as well, but I guess some things just work to your advantage. I was very lucky."

"One more question before we watch the highlights, yes?" Annie shrugs and nods; something Finnick was probably cursing her for.

"What did Finnick say to you, when you saw him after winning? It was so sweet how he wrapped that towel around you and you fell asleep right in his arms!" Annie forces a laugh, "I think he told me he was proud that a tribute from four won." She chuckles again, "the next thing I knew I woke up in a hospital bed so I'm not sure if he had more to say."

"Why don't we ask him?" The camera pans to Finnick sitting in the audience. He waves at the women who scream. "Is there anything else you wanted to say to your lovely new Victor?" Caesar asks. Finnick shrugs, like he could care less that she won but silently cursing the host for pointing out her loveliness. Maybe he'd been hoping they wouldn't notice. "Annie played a good game. I was surprised and impressed. She deserves the title." He says robotically. He'd obviously expected to have to speak.

Once her interview was finally over, Finnick wrapped a protective arm over her shoulder, pushing past all the screaming Capitol people and camera flashes. But while Finnick had his head down, Annie stared back at all the faces that rushed by her. She started to see dark spots from all the flashes, but they were inside. Finnick led her into the elevator and Annie continued to stare, wide eyed, at the door. "Annie?" Finnick asks, breaking her gaze and forcing her to look in his eyes. The hand he places on Annie's chin makes her jump, and he pulls it away quickly.

"I'm sorry."

"Why are they so fascinated by us? What about murderers are so attractive?" Finnick stares at her for a moment, "You're not the murderer, Annie. They are. Don't you see; they did this. They created those Games! They killed all those kids! They made some of us into monsters! Enobaria with her golden fangs, and that boy who ate the hearts. They made them like that. They made all of us like this." Finnick's eyes were hard as he looked into Annie's, "You'll see, Annie. Every Victor has their demons. This life is nothing like they say it is."

Annie places her hands over her ears, and Finnick stares. Her eyes are wild, and she starts to hum an old sea song from home. "What are you doing?" He asks her cautiously. Annie squeezes her eyes closed and tries to picture Finnick smiling. She tries to see him swimming, see him happy.

She doesn't realize that she's slipped to the floor. Finnick clutches her wrists, "Annie, stop. What's wrong? I'm sorry, Annie. Please, I didn't mean to upset you." She couldn't hear him. Instead of seeing Finnick's smiling face, she saw Phoenix's, lying on the ground at her feet. Annie cries out, her hands claw at her ears and Finnick rips them from her head. He restrains her hands in one of his own. When he looks at her face, she's crying.

"What is it, Annie? What's going on?"

Annie doesn't answer. She wraps her arms tightly around Finnick's neck and pulls herself to him. He hugs her back, but the elevator doors open.

Capri brushes into the tiny shaft, hissing in Finnick's ear, "Get her out of here, if someone sees her like this…"

Finnick lifts Annie into his arms and carries her to her room. _One more night,_ he tells himself, _one more night and she'll be home. She'll be out of here._

Annie curled up on her side and ran her hand across the cold sheets until her hand found warm skin. She mumbled something and slid closer. Finnick wrapped his arm around her and kissed her head. Annie sighed, sounding content. "I love you," she whispered. Finnick ran his fingers up her arm, "I know." Her eyes opened and instantly narrowed, "that's really sweet of you to say." He laughed.

As Annie started at his bare arm, she ran her finger over the scars he received from being a fisherman. "For a minute there, I forgot everything. It was like nothing bad had happened. I felt…good."

"There's nothing wrong with feeling good, Annie."

"I'm sorry if I scared you the other day. I don't know what came over me. It's just…everything happened so fast, the hospital, the interview, all those people shouting and taking our picture…"

"Don't apologize. I shouldn't have said those things to you; I'm sorry." She ran her lips over the scars, and Finnick shivered. "Can I make you breakfast?" He asked, jumping up from the bed. Annie sat up, "Sure," she said, raising her hands above her head and stretching her arms. Finnick stopped in the doorway of the small bedroom, looking at the girl he loved, the girl that was finally home.

"What?" Annie asked, running a hand through her dark mane, self conscious that she looked bad. He smiled, "It's nice to see you home. You look beautiful."

Before Annie could answer, Finnick turned and headed towards the kitchen. Annie lay back on the bed with a sigh. She thought about the night before; getting home, seeing her parents, her family, and her district. She'd been tired, and Finnick brought her to his old home, where they'd hidden out from a storm a lifetime ago.

Her mother had a coming home party planned for tonight; Finnick must have told her that Annie was too tired to have one the night before. Annie sighed; she wasn't in a party mood. In fact, she didn't think she'd ever be. Annie wondered how Finnick did it all those years ago. He got off a train from the Capitol, got sent to a new home, and had to entertain a crowd of people. She shook her head; she needed a way out of it. The thought of being in that new house scared her. The idea that so many people would be watching her, expecting her to be a brilliant, shining Victor made her sick.

At that, Annie literally felt sick. Her stomach turned, and she bolted for the tiny bathroom that was connected to the bedroom. She fell to her knees at the toilet and held her hair back.

"Annie!" Finnick came running into the bathroom, "I'm fine," she warned him into the toilet bowl, "Get out."

Instead of listening to her, Finnick took her wild hair from Annie's hands. "What's wrong?" He asked, sounding concerned.

"I'm fine," she repeated, "I was just…" She sighed and pushed his hands away so she could stand up. Finnick released his grip on her hair but his hands hovered as she got to her feet. "Finnick, I don't think I can do it; this party tonight."

Finnick raised his eyebrows, "you got sick because you're nervous about the party." Annie bit her lip, not wanting to answer it, because she'd sound weak. "How did you feel? When you came home to yours?"

"I wanted to be home. I was happy to be home. But it was weird to have all those people near me. I went outside to get some air; that's when I saw you in the ocean."

"I can't do it."

"Okay. Don't worry, you won't have to." Annie sighed, "Yes I will! My mother needs it."

"I think Holland will survive without the party, Annie….I don't think she'll be too upset."

Annie shook her head, "If I tell her I can't have a party, she'll worry about me." Finnick hesitated, "Annie, she's your mother. She's going to worry about you no matter what."

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_A/N: always love reviews:) and don't forget to check out Eternally Wanderlust! I'm working on both stories at the same time, so please review if you want me to keep writing, otherwise I'll stop one of them, too much work:p Thank you everyone for the reviews, follows, and favorites! It always makes me want to keep writing just to know what you guys will think:)_


	18. Trouble Sleeping by The Perishers

18. Trouble Sleeping

Annie stood where the waves crashed on her bare feet. She stared out at the vast ocean, letting the breeze from it play across her skin. She took another step into the cold water. The sun was below the horizon.

Finnick was supposed to be coming home tonight. And Annie's Victory Tour started tomorrow. She couldn't do it. She couldn't see their parents' faces. How could she look out and see their damn faces? Annie's mind was a blur, but she didn't stop walking. She walked until she couldn't touch anymore, and then she closed her eyes and swam forward.

She wondered if she would pass out before she drowned, or if she would feel the salt water in her lungs; if she would feel herself dying. But that was the only option, right? If she lived, she'd see their faces. They'd haunt her, and she already had too many ghosts to handle.

Annie let her mind drift to the boy who blew up that first day, the tributes' she'd killed, Phoenix. She could see all of their dead faces. She could see the memory of Grimm's hair creeping towards her on that last day. She saw her mother's dead face. She saw Kaye and Echo dead. She could even picture Finnick lifeless. Finnick. He'd be angry at her. But he would understand, wouldn't he? He'd miss her. He'd mourn her. Maybe someday he'd find someone new. Maybe he'd live a happy life, with a happy girl who wasn't broken like Annie.

Annie thought about the night that Finnick made love to her. She could see that lazy blue lighting of the rainstorm all over again. She'd felt so safe that night. The cottage was a little safe haven, like no one would hurt them because no one would find them. Every look, every touch, every kiss ran through her head.

She had no idea how far out she was, she didn't want to look. Her legs and arms were tired, her mind was tired. So she turned it all off. She couldn't tell if she was crying or not, didn't know if the sobs came from her own mouth, or if it was in her head.

She felt arms around her, and she let them carry her. She opened her eyes for a moment, and saw Finnick's face. He was focuses on carrying her to heaven. She silently thanked…God? Had God sent an angel that looked like Finnick to take her? She hadn't really thought about God. But, he must exist if Finnick was going to bring her to heaven.

The sand confused her. She could feel it underneath her body. It slowly hit Annie that she wasn't dead. She wasn't going to heaven. The Finnick angel wasn't taking her there. There was no God. No one had saved her from her life. She was still in it. Annie stared at the stars; the full moon lit the beach that she could now make out. She wasn't saved at all.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Finnick's hoarse voice broke the silence. Annie sat up slowly, "I don't know," she answered robotically, upset with him. Upset with herself. Upset with an imaginary God. "I didn't realize how far I drifted."

"I don't buy that. What were you doing, Annie?" Silence fell between the two as they stared at each other. Finnick was on all fours, gasping for air, as Annie sat with her hands gripping the sand. "What do you think I was doing, Finnick?" she finally whispered. Annie stood up and briskly paced through the sand. She headed for the Victor's Village, even though she wouldn't escape him there. She quickly turned in the direction of her old home, but then remembered that another family lived there now. So she stopped, hearing his footsteps catch up to her.  
"Why?" He asked. Annie spun around to face him. "I can't do it, Finnick! I can't go on that Victory Tour! I'm sorry; I know that you're disappointed. I know that you did it, but don't you dare say that if you can do it, I can! I can't! I'm not that strong!" She didn't realize that she was crying, her body was too cold. But Finnick stepped closer and wiped them away.

"Let's go home now." He said gently. Annie nodded, and he led her to his old cottage. When he was home, Annie liked to stay there rather than the Victor's Village. It still felt pure, untouched by the Games or the Capitol. It still felt like a safe haven. Finnick pushed the door open and flicked the lights on. Annie followed him to the towels and they both wrapped themselves in them.

Without a word, Annie walked to the small bathroom off of their bedroom. She turned the water on in the bathtub and then sat down on the edge. It was an old, claw foot bathtub, but Annie loved it. She put her hand under the streaming water as the door swung open. Annie's head whipped around to see Finnick in the doorway. "What's wrong with you? Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" She snarled at him. Finnick shook his head, "When you come home from trying to drown yourself, do you really think I'm going to let you close a door on me?"

She narrowed her eyes, but couldn't think of anything to say in return. He took another step in, "I'm not leaving you alone for a second." His voice was harsh.

Annie stood up too, "You leave me alone for days, Finnick. You can't just come home, barge in here and talk to me like that!"

"You forgot the part where I pulled you out of the ocean." Without really knowing what she was going to do, Annie wheeled towards him. She stopped inches from his face, and her eyes were wild as she looked into his. Annie raised her hand, but Finnick caught it. He glances at her hand, trapped in the air at the wrist by his.

"Let go of me." Annie seethes, speaking through her teeth. When did they get like this? Wasn't it just minutes ago that she'd pictured every look, every touch, and every kiss they'd shared? Now she was lifting her hand to slap him? And mad that he'd stopped her?

Annie's hand went limp in his, and Finnick finally released his hold. Annie turned from him, focusing on the bath she was making. "Did you want to watch, or do you have something better to do?"

To his surprise, Annie's voice was teasing instead of angry. When she glanced at him over her shoulder, his heart beat sped. She smirked at him and winked. Finnick swallowed, confused and a little worried at how quickly her mood had changed.

"I have something better to do." He said flatly. Annie faced him, her jaw clenching, "Alright then."

Finnick stepped close to her and placed a hand on her cheek, watching the red deepen. He smiled, his hands finding her shoulders and the wet straps of her dress. Finnick pushed them off of her skin and watched as the dress fell to the floor.

Annie stared up at him, and he kissed her. "You first," he mumbled against her lips. Annie stepped into the tub as Finnick undressed and then got in with her. "Annie, I'm going to smell like flowers." Her laugh surprised him, it was so genuine. "You'll smell good." She said through her giggles. He couldn't help but laugh too, "I'll smell like a girl." Annie splashed his face, "Lilacs, to be exact."

Finnick rolled his eyes, "perfect."

As the laughter faded, Finnick rested his hands on Annie's, grasping the sides of the tub. "I'm sorry I talked to you the way I did."

"No. I deserved it."

"You scared me."

"I know, Finnick. I'm sorry. I was stupid."

"If anything happens to you, I don't think I could live with myself."

"You'd be alright," Annie muses quietly. Finnick can tell by the way that she says it that she's thought about it; what would happen to him if she died. This only scares him more. "Annie, I mean it. Don't leave me." His intensity makes Annie look up and meet his eyes. "Okay," she finally says, "okay, I won't."

Finnick leans back, accepting it for the moment. He guessed that he wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight. But at least he'd be able to be right beside her throughout the Victory Tour. Hopefully when that was over, she'd feel better. Annie moved forward and rested her head on his chest, "I'm sorry," she whispered into his skin. Finnick sighed, "I worry about you a lot, Annie. All the time. I've always worried about you; ever since you turned twelve." Annie kisses his chest, "I know,"

Finnick and Annie both had trouble sleeping that night. Instead they sat up in their bed talking about Finnick's Victory Tour. Finnick promised that he'd do whatever he could to make it so that Annie didn't have to speak. Maybe he could talk on her behalf…the Capitol people would like that just as much, right?

When the clock on the wall read two in the morning, Annie realized that it was the day. Her heart was loud in her chest and she gripped Finnick's arm. "Read to me," she whispered. Finnick retrieved one of his mother's books from the living room and then climbed back into the bed, "Should I read your poem?" Annie smiled, "I'd like to hear you say it," she told him, thinking about the poem that she'd read that morning, the words he'd highlighted. As Finnick started to read Edgar Allan Poe's words, Annie closed her eyes.

When he was finished, Annie looked up at Finnick, "you sound like you're from a different time when you read." He kisses her forehead, "is it bad?" Annie shakes her head tiredly, "no, it's perfect. Read more please." He chuckles, but finds another to read to her. Annie dozes off, her head on Finnick's arm. For the first time in a long time, they both sleep the rest of the night without nightmares.

* * *

_A/N: :) I hope you like this chapter as much as I liked writing it! I've got some big plans for Annie's Tour, biiig planss. Gah, I'm so excited. fusr/gtr6ye5. But, unfortunately I'll be away this week. I uploaded this chapter faster than I would have for you though:) Thank you all again for your follows and nice reviews! Chapter 3 for Eternally Wanderlust is up too, so pleaseee leave me more reviews to come home to! 3_


	19. Always Midnight by Pat Monahan

19. Always Midnight

Finnick woke up with the sun the next morning. Annie was curled up on the other side of the bed, and he couldn't help but remember how she used to cuddle up to his side during the night; before her Games. He sighed, dragging his hand over his face. Her Victory Tour started today. She tried to kill herself just the night before, but then she acted like it never happened. She'd gone from trying to slap him to having a bath with him. Everything about her made him nervous. Everything she said and did made him uneasy, even on her good days. The good days were an illusion; something was broken inside of her. It made it even harder while he was in the Capitol. Instead of pushing her from his mind like he usually tried to do, he found himself thinking about her constantly. He wanted to know what she was doing, where she was and with who. The fact that he found her alone in the sea made him want to skip his next assignment.

Finnick shook his head, knowing that he couldn't do that. He couldn't stay home for Annie, because Annie would probably die for it. He looked at her again. She looked so peaceful in her sleep, and he wondered what she was dreaming. Annie looked nothing like the wild, broken girl he'd saved from the depths of the ocean.

He couldn't see Annie as the type of person who wanted to take herself from the world; especially as he watched her sleeping.

Finnick got up, dressed, and went to the kitchen to make food, knowing she'd be hungry. He found pancake mix and got started, remembering to add chocolate chips.

When they were finished, he went back to the bed, crawling over the sheets to where Annie still slept. Finnick gently pushed her hair away and leaned towards her ear, "Annie," he whispered, "wake up, beautiful." Annie stirred, sighed and rolled over, facing him, but still asleep. He smirked, kissing her forehead, eyes, nose and cheeks. "Annie," he whispered again when this didn't wake her. "Hey, Annie, it's time to get up. Your pancakes will get cold."

Annie's brow creased for a moment, and then smoothed. Finnick sighed and leaned his head towards hers. He touched her lips with his until she groaned, finally waking up. She slowly opened her eyes and met his, "Wake me up like that every morning." She whispered against his lips.

Finnick smiled, "I made you pancakes." Annie laughed, "I thought I dreamed that part. Thank you." He kissed her forehead and helped her out of bed.

As they sat down and started to eat, she casually broke the silence, "what time do we need to be at the train station?"

"Eight," he answered, analyzing her face. Annie just nodded. He took her hand over the table, "I'll be right beside you the whole time, Annie." Annie stared at their hands for a moment, and then pulled hers away. She stood up and left the table without a word, heading for the bedroom. Finnick glanced at the clock; they needed to be there in an hour.

He sat at the table, drumming his fingers on the wood for another minute before getting worried and going to find her. Annie was at the bedside table, still only wearing his shirt. He leaned against the frame, "what are you looking for?" She didn't turn around or answer until she found it.

Keeping her fist closed, Annie crossed the room and stood in front of him. She smiled, opening her palm. Finnick looked down at it, "may I?" he asked. Annie nodded, and Finnick tied the rope around her wrist neatly.

"It reminded me too much of the arena for a while there…I couldn't stand to look at it. But, now it just reminds me of you, of everything we've been through." Finnick sighed, twisting the rope on her wrist, "it's been a lot, hasn't it?"

She nodded, turning her hand to hold his. Finnick pulled her into a tight hug. Neither of them spoke for a while, they just stood there.

After getting dressed, Finnick and Annie headed for the train station. They said their goodbyes to their family and boarded. Annie's hands were shaking like a leaf on her lap. She stared out the window at her family waving goodbye. She wanted to wave back, but she was afraid that they'd notice her nervous hands. She wanted to smile at them, but she knew that they would see through it. So she looked away.

Unfortunately, she had to spend a couple hours alone while Finnick talked to Capri about the speech, and the President about his reading it. She didn't want to get up there, she was scared. But she didn't want Finnick to get in any trouble either. Snow liked him, but it wasn't exactly proper for Finnick to ask such a thing. When he finally came into the room, he collapsed into the chair across from her before saying a word. "Well," he sighed, "he's going to let me read your speeches."

"If?" Annie asked; her face emotionless. Finnick tried to put on his best poker face too, "what do you mean 'if'?"Annie raised an eyebrow, "What do I have to do in return?"

"Nothing. The President is a very generous man." Anyone hearing their conversation would believe Finnick's words. But Annie knew better. There was something wrong with the way he spoke. She knew she couldn't question him about it now though, not on a Capitol train with Capitol workers walking around.

Finnick was surprised and unprepared for her reaction. He didn't know what he'd expected; a smile at the very least. He was dumfounded, he'd thought that he was the only one who saw through Snow. Well, of course other Victors knew he was an evil man, but what would make Annie think that?

They both had questions for the other, but it was not the place or time. "Well," Annie answered now, "that's very kind of him."

Annie and Finnick sat beside each other at a small table in the dining car. They held hands under the table as Mags and Capri chattered from the other side. "Oh, Annie has a new dress for every district, she'll look just gorgeous. I think that we should play her off really mysteriously. I think her dress for tomorrow would look stunning with a large hat; it'll shade her eyes and just give her a sexy, quiet, brooding attitude. People won't know what happened to her! Everyone will be talking about it." Capri rambled before taking a spoonful of soup and glancing across the table at Annie. Annie stared back; completely emotionless.

Capri cleared her throat uncomfortably and looked away, giving Finnick a quick, panicked look and then turning back to Mags to ramble some more.

Finnick squeezed her hand. He leaned over and put his lips to her ear, "You okay?" Annie nodded slightly and Finnick ran his nose over her skin before returning to his food.

Annie sat silently through her meal, only taking bites when one of them commented on how little she was eating. When everyone was finished, they said their goodnights, and Annie and Finnick headed towards his room.

They got ready for bed without a word. Finnick didn't want to push her. He wasn't sure what subjects were safe or unsafe to talk about; it always depended on the day and her mood. So, he stayed silent. Annie curled up on her side of the bed and turned the lights off. Finnick watched her for a minute, then finally sighed and turned over. Facing away from each other, Annie broke the peaceful stillness of the room, "What did Snow say? When you asked if you could speak for me?"

"He was concerned about you," Finnick lied, "but he understood." Annie hesitated for a long moment, and Finnick turned over to see her. "He understood that I'm crazy?"

"No, Annie. He understood that it would be hard for you. He'd rather me do it than have something bad happen to you."

"How much did you tell him?" She asked quietly. Finnick answered honestly this time, "Everything. It was the only way he'd allow it. He wanted to know everything you've been through in the last six months."

"And he thinks I'm not stable enough to speak." Finnick didn't answer, and Annie didn't ask anything else. They both lay on their backs, staring at the ceiling. Annie couldn't understand how she'd gotten this way. She thought that she was doing better, but maybe she was worse than she'd thought. A tear slid down her cheek as she put everything together. She could finally see what her life looked like to Finnick. She was going mad; she'd tried to drown herself, she had mood swings like crazy, she had more bad days than good ones. "I am insane." She whispered. Finnick turned his head to look at her, "No, Annie. You're not. We all have our demons."

"I know. But none of your demons physically paralyze you. None of your demons make you wish you were dead."

"Don't talk like that." Finnick's voice was low, pleading with her. Annie finally turned her head to meet his eyes, "I want to die, Finnick." She slowly moved her hand to wipe the tears from his face. "I don't want to live this life without you." He said.

"You'd be okay." Finnick slid close to her, wrapping his arm over her waist and resting his head on her chest. Annie ran her fingers through his hair as he answered, "I _can't_ live this life without you." Annie didn't answer; instead she lifted his head to meet his eyes. Tears streamed his face, while hers was dry. Annie leaned closer to him, closing her eyes, she kissed him.

She heard Finnick inhale as he broke the kiss, resting his forehead to hers. Annie ran her fingers through his hair, down his back, over his arms. She grazed his chest and hips, listening to his breath deepen as she did so.

"Annie," his voice was hoarse, "I won't." Annie nodded into his shoulder, her hair brushing across his arm. He wasn't sure if she was agreeing or disagreeing. "I mean it." He tried again. This time she sighed, "Why?"

"Because you're trying to say goodbye. And I won't do that. I won't give you what you want so that you can leave me."

There was a long silence between them, as she rested her chin on his shoulder and he had his head turned away from her, not wanting her to see how broken she'd made him feel.

"You're right," she finally whispered, "I'm sorry. That's not fair to you." Finnick closed his eyes, but didn't turn to face her, "No, you know what's unfair to me, Annie; feeling like I'm going to lose you, and having no idea what to do about it."

"I don't know, Finnick. I don't know anything. Sometimes I just feel like I've hit rock bottom; like it can't get any worse. But then I see you and…I feel good again. I have good days and bad days. I realize all of the pain I put you through; I put my family through, and sometimes I just think you'd all be better off without me. You said that you didn't want to live this life without me, and believe it or not, I felt happy when you said that, because I feel the same way. But sometimes…I don't want to live this life at all. I don't know what to think of anything. I don't know what I feel. I don't know what to do. It's all so confusing in my mind."

"But you can get better. We'll work on it. We'll talk about it, or we won't. Whatever you need to do, we'll do it."

"I don't know what I need, either." She sighed, "I mean, I know I need you. But you can't be there for me every second of every day. And I don't think you should have to be."

"I want to be."

"But you can't."

Finnick wanted to scream, he wanted to break something, Snow's face to be exact. "So we're stuck."

Annie kissed his shoulder.

Finnick sighed, "Can you just…can you do me a favor?" Annie nodded, her lips still pressed to his skin. "Can you do your best to stay here…for me?"

Annie nodded again, "I'd do anything for you, you know that?" Finnick felt himself relax a little, but not much.

* * *

_Okay, not the happiest time for our love fishes. and I've gotta admit it doesn't get much better. I'm currently working on chapter 22, so *squeals* _

_In other news, I decided to stop writing Eternally Wanderlust; I wasn't putting as much time or effort into it as I do with Into the Sea and I wasn't inspired anymore by where I wanted to take the story:/ Anyways, reviewsreviewsreviews:)_


	20. 18th Floor Balcony by Blue October

_Since I got a special request to upload this asap..Just for you, Marie713!_

* * *

20. 18th Floor Balcony

District 12 was nothing like Annie had expected. She'd never seen such poverty. Being in front of those people, with dirt stained faces and grime under their nails…she felt embarrassed to be wearing the pink fitted dress and sunhat that Capri had put her in. Her lips were a bright red, and she wore an oversized pair of sunglasses that hid her face. She knew that for Districts 1, 2 and the Capitol, Annie would be a fast rising fashionista.

But for these people? They could care less about what she wore. She wished that she could offer them something, food or money or something that they needed. But she couldn't. She couldn't even speak to them. What kind of monster was she?

At least she had the glasses to hide behind. The shades were dark, so no one could see her eyes. Annie sat in a chair beside the podium while Finnick spoke. He apologized for her muteness, but told them that she wasn't well. He gave them no more explanation, and instead continued into her victory speech.

Annie's eyes glanced around the crowd of district 12, hidden by the glasses. Her vision was drawn to a young girl who looked to be about fourteen. She stood beside a tall, good-looking young man and held the hand of a little girl with blonde braids in her hair. Annie couldn't take her eyes off of the girl's face. Something about it was so familiar.

The girl was looking at Finnick, but Annie could tell that her mind was not focused on his words. She had dark hair and tan skin with gray eyes. Annie wondered what made her look so strong. This little girl held her chin high; she put on a show for everyone else. But what pain was she hiding? There was a broken girl underneath the rough exterior.

At that same moment, the girl in the crowd turned her head slightly and looked at Annie.

Annie tensed, because she could tell that the girl knew she was looking at her. The girl met Annie's gaze evenly, but her eyes were vacant, dead. There was no hatred behind them. No anger. Annie started to lift her hand in greeting, but just as quickly the girl looked away.

Annie suddenly realized why the girl was so familiar to her.

It was the same girl that Annie saw in the mirror.

Those dead eyes that stared like they didn't recognize you. Neither of them was sad, angry, or hurt. They were just…gone.

Annie slept in her own bedroom that night, while Finnick grudgingly slept in his. He had put up a fight, saying that he wasn't comfortable with her being alone for the night.

She promised that if she got scared or had a nightmare she'd go to his room. But she knew that she wouldn't. She just needed to spend time alone, no matter how nervous it made Finnick, or unfair he felt it was.

Annie stepped out of the shower, and before drying off or getting dressed, she wiped the fog away from the mirror. Annie stared at the girl looking back. Her skin was tan; her hair was dark, just like the girl from twelve's. Her eyes were the same, too. The only difference was that where the girl's eyes were gray, Annie's were blue.

But they were empty. Annie tried thinking of Finnick, but she saw no change in her expression. She pictured Phoenix, his head being cut off by Grimm. But the girl in the mirror did not flinch, despite the internal flips her stomach was doing. Some might say that she was unbreakable. But Annie knew that she was the opposite. She was so easily broken.

With a sigh, she sat down on the floor and watched the water drip from her hair. She wasn't sure how long she'd been there, but her hair was nearly dry when she came to. Annie shook her head, looking around the bathroom.

She wrapped a towel around herself and went into the bedroom. Annie stood in front of the mirror in there, but only met the same girl's eyes. Is this who Finnick sees? Who her mother welcomed home? Who her father has been calling 'my little girl'? Annie was not the same little girl she was before. Why was she the last to realize it?

She picked up her brush and combed through her hair. Then she dropped her towel and flopped onto the bed, not caring to put pajamas on. Annie felt the cold satin on her bare skin, finding comfort in that. She knew there would be nightmares tonight; there always were when Finnick wasn't with her.

But she'd locked the door. Oh, Finnick would eat her ear off about it tomorrow, but she didn't care at the moment. She needed to get through the night alone. She needed to know that she could do it without running to her mother's bed or clutching Finnick. So, wearing nothing but her rope bracelet, she slept.

* * *

Annie had a different outfit to wear for every district, just like Capri had promised. And by the time they got to District 1, every woman in the crowd had on a different version of her attire. The dinner on Annie's behalf was much more extravagant as well. District 1 was richer than any other district in Panem. They liked Finnick and Annie more than any of the other districts did. They wanted to be Annie and dress like Annie, while they desired Finnick's love.

It was a strange feeling to Annie; to finally step into the world that Finnick had always hidden from her. Women screamed his name and cried when he smiled at them or even met their eye. She knew that he wasn't being himself; that he was putting on a show just like she did, just like the girl back in district 12 did. She'd seen this Finnick on the television more times than she could count. But it was different to meet this man in person.

Annie knew better than to show him affection in public. Now she understood why. When she was preparing for The Hunger Games, she'd been so frustrated with him. He refused to show her any care unless it was behind doors. Now she understood, or she tried to. These women, who were currently crying and sobbing his name, begging for his attention, who knew what they'd do if they found out that Finnick loved a poor, mad girl from his home district. They'd hate her. As she stared at them, she wouldn't put it past them to try to harm her, or him.

* * *

The Capitol was only worse. These women had t-shirts with Finnick's face on them, they carried around toy tridents and had their skin dyed green or blue, Annie guessed to make themselves more appealing to Finnick.

In the Capitol, it wasn't a dinner that was held on Annie's behalf, it was a party. There were tables and tables of food, music and hundreds of people she didn't know. It was held on the 18th floor of Snow's estate. Annie stepped outside, onto the large balcony to clear her head. She had a beautiful view of the Capitol, and she took in the sunset as the wind blew her hair and worries behind her. She closed her eyes, and for a split second, wondered how it would feel to jump.

"Hey," She turned quickly to face Finnick. "I saw you out here by yourself; I just thought I'd check on you."

"I'm fine," she answered coolly.

"Look, Annie, I know that something's changed in you," Annie stared at his green eyes, his tan skin, his blonde, curly hair, "I just want you to know that I've always done my best to be here for you. I'll always do my best to be here for you."

"I know." Finnick came closer to stand beside her as he continued, "I don't know what's going to happen, Annie. I don't know how much else you're going to have to go through in life, but I love you too much to say goodbye. I can't. I might regret that if you leave me…but I'd rather have that than the memory of the moment I gave up on you."

Annie turned suddenly and buried her face in his shoulder, "I'm not going anywhere." Finnick let out a breath into her hair. He gently took her hand and they both stood in silence, staring at the city below. Annie closed her eyes, and for a split second, she wondered what it would be like to fly away, not to fall, but to fly.

* * *

_A/N:Annie's tour isn't over yet! I apologize for the short chapter, but this is kind of just leading up to chapter 21. ;)_


	21. Beginning to Get to Me by Snow Patrol

_A/N: Sorry it's taken so long! I started school, senior year, actually. So I'm swamped with AP work and a million things:( senioritis has not kicked in yet. But, I'm excited about this chapter, plenty of Finnick/Annie drama for ya;)_

* * *

21. It's Beginning to Get to Me

The party was going to last all night, and as Finnick glanced at the clock, he realized it was only ten. These things usually didn't die down until five in the morning, the same time fishermen would be waking up for the day.

He restrained himself from sighing and slouching in disappointment. How was it only ten? It was 9:30 three hours ago when he checked the clock. Or, maybe it just felt like three hours ago. Finnick glanced around the room until he found Annie. She sat at a table with Mags, sipping on her fruity drink and listening to their mentor talk. Annie's eyes were trained on Mags, making Finnick wonder what they were talking about.

"Can I buy you a drink?" Finnick looked up and saw a tall woman with blue skin standing in front of him. "Sure," he smirked, "rum and coke." The woman ordered two, and then she sat down next to him. They chatted over their drinks about her lovely skin. Finnick only needed to make one comment and she blabbed on for five minutes. He wasn't listening to her, he was focused on Annie, who had left her table and was now across the bar, ordering a shot.

Finnick felt a moment of panic, what if Mags had told her about what he did in the Capitol? Annie wasn't the kind of girl to do shots. And then Finnick noticed the man who just clinked his shot glass with Annie's. Finnick took his hand off of the woman's thigh to wring his hands together.

He was tattooed head to toe, and had piercings that would probably give Annie nightmares. She didn't look uncomfortable though, just…angry? Her eyes fluttered to meet Finnick's, and then they fell to the blue hand that held Finnick's tie. Finnick glared at Annie as she looped her finger through the man's belt loop. He wanted to push the alien off of him, climb across the bar and strangle that guy's neck.

He knew he couldn't do that though, so instead he just fantasized about different ways to kill him. At the moment, he was playing with a strand of Annie's hair while they waited for another round of shots.

"Finnick, did you hear me?" Finnick forced himself to look at the woman. "I said; do you want to go back to your room?" He knew he could have gotten away with saying no. The Victory Tours were not part of his contract with Snow. He could have said that he needed to keep an eye on Annie; if it wasn't for the deal he made with the President. In exchange for Annie's silence, Finnick would receive an assignment. And here she was, skin dyed blue and uglier than ever. He hated her. He hated Snow. He hated the Capitol.

He hated himself.

"Yeah, let's go." Finnick gave Annie one last, long, stare before heading out with…whatever her name was.

Annie watched them go until the doors closed behind them. She was more confused than ever. Was he bringing her home? Was she too drunk to walk or drive herself? Was he trying to make Annie jealous? Annie glanced at the guy who'd asked to buy her drink. She'd only agreed because of the heat that rose through her body when she saw Finnick's hand on that blue thigh.

"Listen, Comisar," she said to the man, glancing at the clock on the wall that read 11:00. "It's getting pretty late for me, I think I'm just going to get some sleep." Comisar cocked his head to the side, "it's only 11:00!"

"I know," she smiled apologetically, placing a hand on his arm, "that's late in District 4. Next time I'm in the Capitol we'll get together though!" Annie stood up and mixed into the crowed before they could exchange numbers. She made her way back to the table she'd left Mags at. "Are you ready to go, Mags?" Mags nodded and stood.

When they had finally fought their way through the crowd and said enough goodbyes to be acceptable, they stumbled into the hall, their arms looped. "Hey," Annie said, "do you know who that woman was that Finnick left with?" Mags looked down at her hands, "I think that you should just spend tonight in your room dear, or you could sleep in mine if you'd like." Annie's eyes narrowed, "why would you say that?"

"I think that Finnick just needs some time alone."

"Who was she?" Annie asked slowly. Mags sighed, "I don't know, dear. I'm sure that he doesn't know either. He probably just walked her home and went to bed. Let him be, sometimes he needs alone time, just like you." Mags spoke in a calming manner, and Annie stupidly believed her.

Annie tucked Mags into bed and kissed her on the cheek, "alright," she whispered, "I'll see you in the morning."

"Sleep tight, dear. Don't hesitate to come on in here if you need to." Annie smiled at Mags once more before turning out the light and heading for her own room.

Annie spent a good hour rolling around her bed, trying and failing to find sleep. And then she spent another hour pacing the floor of her room, biting her nails and contemplating if she should go to Finnick. She knew that Mags was right, Finnick had respected the night that Annie wanted to spend alone. She woke up screaming from nightmares, but she never heard Finnick banging on her door. He'd respected the fact that she wanted to be alone. Maybe he had even understood that she needed to know she could get through the night by herself.

But this was different. Annie threw a robe over herself and hurried down the hall to his door. She knocked lightly, and heard murmuring voices behind the door. Her breath came in quickly as she prayed that it was the television.

She waited another moment and then knocked louder. This time Finnick's voice came though, "I'm commin'"

She closed her eyes, her hand resting on the door until it swung open. Finnick stood before her in a pair of boxers, a bottle of alcohol in one hand. His hair was disheveled, and his eyes were wide as he watched her watching him.

"Annie," he breathed. To her surprise, his breath didn't smell of the liquor he held. His eyes were alert. He wasn't drunk.

That fact only made it worse when the blue woman came up behind him wearing only underwear. She wrapped her arms around Finnick and kissed his back and shoulders as Annie watched in horror.

"This isn't what you think, just let me explain,"

But Annie was running. Her bare feet hit the floor hard and she struggled to see out of her watery eyes.

Annie didn't knock on this door. She flung it open as sobs escaped her mouth. Annie stumbled into the bed and her mentor woke. "I'm sorry," Annie tried to quiet herself, feeling even worse now that she'd woken the old woman from her sleep.

"Shh, dear, it's alright," Annie lay down on her side and Mags wrapped her arms around her. "You're okay, darling," Annie tried to tell Mags what happened, but her sobs made her words barely understandable.

Either Mags couldn't comprehend what she was saying, or she wasn't surprised. Annie hoped it was the first.

She was too tired to try again, so instead she cried herself to sleep with Mags' arms around her. Oddly, Annie's last thought before she fell asleep was, _I wonder if this is how that mermaid who threw herself into the sea felt when she realized her prince was in love with someone better._


	22. Liar by Mumford and Sons

22. Liar

Finnick sat on his porch, watching the sun rise over the ocean. It was a sight that would never get old for him. But on this morning, he did not feel at peace, like he usually did. He knew he had a lot of thinking to do. It wasn't right of him to lie to Annie, he knew that. But life seemed so much easier if he just pretended that the Capitol wasn't a part of him.

So, now what? He'd made attempts to talk to Annie for weeks. She was good at avoiding him, though. When he called her house, her mother always said that she was busy. If he went to her house, they would say that she was out. Finnick spent quite a while trying to run into her around the district, but he never had. He'd spend hours walking the beach hoping to casually bump into her. He went to the cottage and spent a few nights there. Annie never showed. She was obviously at home and avoiding him.

He just wished that he could explain everything to her. He wanted her to know that he never meant to hurt her; that if it were up to him, he'd already be married to her and living the best life they could in their fucked up world.

Finnick thought about one night, before Annie went into the arena. They'd been sitting on the couch in the cottage, watching a fire and drinking tea, curled up in a blanket. It was one of those nights that he wished he could live in forever. Annie had leaned into him, resting her lips on his neck and closing her eyes. She'd never looked more beautiful, tired and glowing in the light of the fire. He kissed her forehead, and her lips pulled into a small smile. The next thing he knew, her lips were moving, kissing his neck and shoulder, her hands running along his chest. He felt the hair on his arms stand up, the shiver run through his body. He jumped to his feet, "I'm wiped, I think I'll go to bed." Annie stared up at him with wide eyes, confused. "Goodnight, fish, I love you." He kissed her cheek and hurried to the bedroom. By the time she got in there, he was pretending to be asleep. He wasn't sure if she'd meant to make him feel that way. But, she never did anything like it again. And he never mentioned it again. Maybe she'd felt rejected or embarrassed, maybe she figured out that he wasn't ready or willing to make love to her again, even though she didn't question it. But either way, he never wanted to be in that situation again.

As he sat on the porch, he wondered if she thought about that night. There was a knock at his door, pulling Finnick from his trip down memory lane.

Finnick stood up and headed inside to get it, his heart pounding, praying to see her face when he opened the door.

Instead he found Mags. "Hey Mags, come on in." Mags sat down on the couch and Finnick sat beside her. "How have you been?" she asked. Finnick sighed, "I can't talk to her. She's been avoiding me." He ran his fingers through his hair, "I just want to explain this to her."

"She isn't avoiding you. Well, I guess she is. She's in the Capitol."

"What?"

"I went to Annie's this morning. Her parents told me where she's been for the past couple of weeks. I guess she went back just a couple of days after we arrived back in four. She told them not to tell you. But I think they're getting worried."

"This is crazy. Why wouldn't they tell me?"

"Finnick…they know everything. It's the only way they'd let her go."

"Why did they tell you, don't they know you'd just tell me anyways?" Mags sighed, "They're worried about her. They knew I'd tell you. They wanted me to tell you. You need to go get her, Finnick. She's in over her head there."

Finnick was in the Capitol by that night. There were no events going on involving The Games or the districts. The Capitol was a different world on nights like this. The women wore less, the men were sleazier, and the clubs were dirtier.

It took him all night, but he finally found Annie in a grimy club that played loud music and had flashing, colorful lights. She was on the dance floor, dancing with some guy. His hands were all over Annie's body, and she looked half asleep.

Finnick was so angry; he didn't even bother talking to the Capitol boy. He grabbed Annie by the waist and lifted her over his shoulder. He wasn't worried about photographers, this wasn't the kind of place he'd run into anyone from his circle in the Capitol.

Annie pushed at him, demanding to be put down. He ignored her until they were outside, where he put her back on her feet. Annie staggered slightly, using Finnick's arm to balance herself. "What are you doing here?" she mumbled.

"I came to get you."

"I don't need or want you here." Finnick didn't want to answer. He didn't know how to answer. Instead he ignored it and guided her towards the train station. "Where are you taking me?"

"The train. We're going home." Annie moaned, "No, I can't go home. He'll be there."

"Who will?" Finnick asked, confused. Annie sighed, as if she were frustrated that he didn't understand. "Finnick. I can't see him." Again, Finnick chose to stay silent. He didn't want to upset her by telling her that he _was_ Finnick, who knows what she'd do. And he wasn't going to ask why. She obviously was not in her right mind, and he wasn't going to take advantage of that situation. "Annie, how much have you had to drink?"

"Only one beer. That guy insisted on buying me one." Finnick's arm tightened around her. He glanced behind him, checking to see if anyone was following. Annie either wasn't remembering her alcohol intake correctly, or the guy from the bar put something in her drink. Finnick could see the train station up ahead, but Annie was getting tired, heavier. "Come on, Annie," he encouraged, "its right up ahead."

Annie leaned on him even more, "I'm so tired."

"I know. You can sleep as soon as we get on the train, okay?"

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Because I love you." Finnick answered without thinking. He glanced at Annie. Her eyebrows were pushed together, confused. What has she been doing for the past three weeks? "You don't love me." she finally answered.

"Of course I do."

"But you love a lot of girls." Annie said her statements in a matter-of-fact kind of way.

"No, Annie. It's just you." Annie noticed the train station now, and her expression changed to relief. Finnick wasn't even sure if she remembered their conversation.

A few minutes later the train was leaving the station. Finnick was in Annie's room, helping her get ready for bed. She opened the door and fell onto her bed with a sigh. Finnick followed and pulled off her shoes. He moved her hair out of her face. He dimmed the lights and left the trashcan beside her bed.

"Finnick," He turned, his hand still on the doorknob. She hesitated, and his heart leapt as he waited for her to say, '_stay with me_,' or '_I love you, too'_

"You're a liar….and I hate you." Annie put her head back on the pillow, facing away from him. He was an idiot. Of course she hated him; he _was_ a liar. He was stupid to think she'd tell him she loved him or ask him to stay. Idiot.

* * *

Finnick was in her room the next morning as the sun rose. They would be home in a matter of minutes, and she was still asleep. Finnick tore open the curtains and let light into the room. "What the hell!" She exclaimed from the bed. Annie sat up quickly, and Finnick stared back at her, his arms crossed. "Where are we?"she asked.

"Almost home."

"What happened?" Finnick gestured towards her, "Mags told me that you were here, so I came after you. I found you in a sketchy club where some guy had drugged you. So I took you home."

"I didn't ask you to come after me."

"No. But you're welcome anyways." Annie's eyes narrowed; shouldn't she be the angry one? "I didn't need saving, Finnick. I was fine."

"Okay. I'm sorry then." He said sharply and insincerely. Annie was confused, mad. "What are you so angry about?"

"Nothing. Are you ready to talk to me yet?"

"No."

"Fine."

And with that, he left the room. She had to admit, it wasn't what she was expecting from their first conversation after everything that happened. She'd expected apologies and begging. Maybe he was glad it was over. Maybe he never really loved her. Maybe it was _her_ who had the fake Finnick, and the Capitol who had the real one. She sighed, knowing that none of that was true. There was no way that Finnick wasn't just as miserable as she was. They were in love. And she was certain that _her_ Finnick was real. So what was it then? Had she done something last night? He said something about a guy drugging her? She shook her head, what the hell happened? Had she done something with that guy?

Annie got ready and then found Finnick's room. She knocked, and it took him a moment to answer it. She hadn't realized her hands were shaking, almost expecting to find a Capitolite in his room. He opened the door, wearing nothing but a towel, his hair wet. Annie's face flushed as she glanced at the defined muscles on his tan chest. "Look," she started,staring down at her feet. "I know that you're just as angry at me as I am at you. I don't know what I did, but if it was something with that guy…I need to know what happened."

"You didn't do anything with anyone. I found you before that." She was still mad at him. She knew she shouldn't give a damn why he was acting so immature. But, she didn't think it was fair. _She_ had a right to be angry at _him_. _She_ had a right not to talk to _him_. He had no reason to be upset with her, nonetheless not tell her why.

"I'm done playing games, Finnick." She said flatly. Finnick didn't miss a beat, "I never started any, Annie."

"Okay. So I guess that's it then. We're done." her voice broke on the last word.

"If that's really what you want." They stared at each other for a long moment, knowing that it wasn't what either of them wanted. But it was over. She knew that. It had to be. "It is," she finally answered.

As she turned to leave, he grabbed her by the waist. "Then I guess I have nothing to lose," he said softly. In one, swift movement he pulled her to his chest. Finnick kissed her hard. And to his surprise, she didn't push away. Her hands were balled in fists on his chest, but she kissed him back. He held onto her tightly, putting all of his passion, love, and feelings into this kiss. It was probably the last time he'd get to kiss her.

When she finally got around to pushing him away, she was furious. "You have no right!"

"If you ever want to talk about it, Annie, I'll be waiting to tell you everything."


	23. Falling Slowly by Glen Hansard

_A/N:I can't promise rainbows and sunshine in the next few chapters. But, if you're reading any fanfics that are Hunger Games based, that's probably not what you're looking for. I keep getting wrapped up in the amazing writers on here. Some of you are so talented! Whenever I can't write, I'll just read one and know exactly where to go next. It's honestly inspiring, along with Suzanne Collins, of course. Enjoy! Review, criticize, make suggestions, it's all welcome!:)_

* * *

23. Falling Slowly

She had to admit, his words made her curious. What more was there to say? He cheated. Who knew how many times. She'd caught him. That was it. It was over. But, of course it wasn't that simple; not when you were in love. Love tends to blind you.

Annie didn't want to talk to Finnick, though. So she did the next best thing.

Mags wasn't interested in talking to Annie at first. She thought that it should be a conversation to have with Finnick. But Annie had convinced her. "I just need to know."

"When Finnick turned eighteen, the President gave him these…assignments. He didn't have a choice. Snow threatened him. He's not required to get assignments on Victory Tours or during the Games, but Snow made an exception. In exchange for your silence this year, he had to sleep with the blue skinned girl."

She was shocked, and Mags allowed her to sit with the information while she went to the kitchen to make tea. When Mags came back, Annie had questions. "So is it my fault?"

Mags waved a hand in dismissal, "He's been forced to do this since he was eighteen, Annie. One more girl on your behalf hardly makes a difference. They all blend together. Names, faces, places, it all becomes blurry, nightmarish."

"Were you…?"

"Yes."

"Does that mean that I will have to…?" Mags shook her head, "Finnick took on twice the amount of assignments in order to keep you at home." Annie put her head in her hands. "I can't believe this. I got so angry with him."

"You should talk to him."

* * *

Annie found Finnick sitting alone on the beach, staring out at the water. She sat down next to him and picked up a handful of sand. Placing her head on her knee, she let the sand fall, "Okay," she said quietly, "I'm ready to talk."

"I'm guessing Mags told you." She nodded. He sighed, "Ask away,"

"Why did you do that for me?"

"Because I love you." Annie hesitated, a blurry image came to her mind of Finnick saying the exact same words, but they were on a Capitol street, his arm around her as she leaned on him. She shook her head to clear it.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was afraid. I was afraid it would change things. I was scared that if you knew, you'd look at me differently. I didn't want to lose you. I know it's stupid. I was being selfish, and I was a jerk for not telling you. I should have, and I'm so sorry that this is how you had to find out."

"You were a jerk. But you also saved me. Mags told me what you did to keep me from having the same…career as you."

Finnick didn't answer; he just stared at the water. Annie continued, "Did you know…what would happen…that night we…?" Finnick could tell that she was struggling to ask the question. But he stayed silent, even though he knew what she was talking about. He didn't want her to know. "In the cottage, two years ago, when you were seventeen…that storm…did you know that this was going to happen to you?" she finally mumbled.

"Yes."

"Why wouldn't you let me make that decision? You…tricked me. If I had known that you'd be sleeping with all those Capitolites in a short year, I never would have…" Annie trailed off.

There was a long pause between them. Annie knew that she had hurt his feelings. And he knew that _she _was hurt as well.

"You wouldn't have?" he finally asked quietly. As their eyes met, they both thought about that night. "No," she whispered back, "I still would have. But why didn't you tell me back then?"

"It was the reason I was so hesitant that night. I wanted you more than anything, but I didn't know what the right thing to do was. The truth is, when you kissed me, I didn't want to stop. I was…at your mercy." He chuckled slightly, but then the humor in his face was gone just as quickly, "I wanted you to be my first, but I didn't want to hurt you. I guess I just…I wanted you. And it was selfish. But I told myself that we had something between us that Snow could never take away. He can sell me. He can force us apart. But he can't have that night. He can't change what happened between us."

Annie could feel tears springing to her eyes. "I don't regret it. And I don't blame you. I'm not angry or bitter anymore. I forgive you for lying about it all this time. But I can't be with you, Finnick." The tears fell freely now. As she stood up, she murmured one last explanation, "I hate the idea of having to share you with anyone else."


	24. Make it Without You by Andrew Belle

_A/N: Just because my last review was so awesome. And because I'm really excited about the next couple of chapters.:)_

* * *

24. Make it Without You

For Annie, nights were the longest. They were the most painful. She slept in her home in the Victor's Village, right across the street from Finnick. The thing was, she's never felt farther away from him. Annie grew up beside Finnick Odair. He was her best friend. She fell in love with him. She loved their little life in the old cottage. She felt more like a Victor now than ever. She was alone. She'd sit up in the middle of the night and wish that he was beside her again. Then she'd get upset with herself for wishing such things. They'd never have that again. They would never be able to go back to how things were. On this particular night, she couldn't even fall asleep in the first place. Four months had gone by since the day she sat with Finnick on the beach. He'd made no attempt to contact her, she hadn't seen him since then…until today that is.

Annie was in town, picking up some groceries for her mother. She hated going to the square. Everyone stared at her. She was the girl who never should have won The Hunger Games. Annie was ignoring the whispers and stares when she bumped into him. _"I'm so sorry!"_

_ "No, it was my fault; I wasn't watching where I was going." _They both looked up and realized who they were talking to. _"Finnick,"_

_ "Hey, Annie" He hesitated, "How have you been?"_

_ "I've been good. What about you? I haven't seen you in months?"_

_ "Oh, I've been living in an apartment in the Capitol."_

_ "Oh." Annie had to admit, it hurt. She was conceited enough to think that he'd been around District Four, watching out for her, ready to intervene if she really needed him. She hadn't considered that he'd abandoned her._

_ "Yeah, I just thought it'd be best…"_

_ "No. You're probably right. So, what brings you back, then?" _

_ "I'm just visiting for the week. I wanted to see Kaye and Echo and my parents."_

_ Annie nodded, and she suddenly could feel tears coming on, "Well, I better get going," she'd mumbled and hurried off._

Now she sat on the floor in front of her bed, thinking about how he's been gone this whole time. Annie had taken comfort in thinking that Finnick was looking out for her. It was pretty selfish, but it made her feel better when nights were unbearable. She liked to imagine herself walking across the street in her slippers to spend one more night in his arms. She'd never thought that she wouldn't find him there. Annie took a deep, uneven breath. At least, now she knew something important about herself, even if it had been an illusion; she could make it without him.

* * *

The next day's weather reflected how Annie felt perfectly. The whole sky was covered in dark storm clouds, but the rain hadn't come. The sky held back the downpour, just like Annie held back the breakdown. She was going crazy locked up in the house. It was so big and cold and...Capitol like. Nothing was homey about the place. So, she put on her boots and rain coat and left without a word. She went out the back door, just in case Finnick was looking out the window, she didn't want him to see her. Annie marched quickly toward her destination, praying that the rain would hold until she was back at home. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck in the cottage when it rained, that would bring up too many memories.

After her Games, Annie was in such a bad place, she hardly noticed the changes that Finnick had made to their little home. The sink no longer had a steady dripping sound, the door didn't creak when you opened it, and the windows were replaced so that nights were warm. Annie wandered into the bedroom. The bed was made; it probably hadn't been slept in for months. She walked back into the living room and examined the fire place. Annie ran her fingers along the old bricks, and as she did, one came loose. She stepped back and pulled at the brick, which came out easily. Annie peered inside and saw something shiny in the open fire place. She reached her hand into the hole and pulled out a tin box. It was filled with sheets of paper, and Annie recognized Finnick's hand writing instantly.

She sat down on the couch, dazed, trying to bring herself to read. She was curious, but knowing that the box belonged to Finnick made her hesitate, he obviously hadn't intended her to find this if he'd hidden it in the bricks. She took a deep breath and began to read anyway, knowing that she had to now.

_I ran away in floods of shame_

_ I'll never tell how close I came._

_ You went left and I went right,_

_ As the moon hung proud and bright._

_ You would have loved it here tonight._

_ Spin me around just to pin me down_

_ On the cover of this strange bed._

_ Wrap up your questions, keep them down._

_ Let the water lead us home._

_ I was sorry for what I'd done._

_ When you were young, I was not old,_

_ But our story was not told;_

_ Torn apart by greedy hands._

_ I'll be home in a little while,_

_ Annie I'll be home._

Annie folded the paper and put it back into the tin box. When had he written that? Annie could feel the tears running down her face but she wasn't sure when she started crying. There were more. There were a lot more, but if they were all like this, she wasn't sure she'd be able to read them. He'd never told her that he wrote poems. With shaky hands, Annie picked up the next one.

_I want something that's purer than water_

_ Like we were._

_ And it's beginning to get to me_

_ That I know more of the stars and sea_

_ Than I do of what's in your head._

_ Barely touching in our cold bed._

_ It's so thrilling but also wrong;_

_ You don't have to prove that you are so strong._

_ I can carry you on my back,_

_ After our enemies attack._

_ I tried to tell you before I left_

_ But I was screaming under my breath._

_ You are the only thing that makes sense._

Annie didn't want to read anymore. She was sobbing now. For the millionth time since they officially broke up, she cried until she couldn't breathe. Had anyone else ever felt this? This constant pain in your chest? Did they have moments where they realized that life wasn't worth living? Did they ever have that sinking feeling, like you just wanted to give up? She hoped not. She hoped that no one ever felt this kind of pain. She knew that when it came to The Games, there were victors who'd had it worse, and of course, thousands of tributes who had it even worse than the victors. But, this…this_ heartbreak_, this feeling that she couldn't shake, the depression, anger, loss, hatred, it all rolled around in her brain, and it made her feel worse and more confused than usual.

She touched the little stains on the paper, realizing that it was from his tears. When had he done this; sat here and written these words as he cried? Wrote down the things he couldn't say to her? Why hadn't he told her these things? Annie was so confused. She understood his life better than she had before, but did that change anything? Did finding his poems make her feel differently? Her head was spinning, so she put all of the papers back into the tin box and placed it back in the fire place. Annie began walking back to her house, faster than she had come. The rain still wasn't falling, but she could see lightning and hear thunder. _The breakdown is almost here,_ she thought to herself. As she hurried, she contemplated telling Finnick that she'd found his poetry. She wondered if he'd be angry or if he'd explain. Would he hate her for reading them, or would he be relieved that she finally understood what he couldn't find the words to say?

There was only one person who could help her decide what to do. And Annie was pounding at her door as thunder roared. Annie screamed, jumping backwards and nearly knocking over a plant that was on Mags' doorstep. The door swung open quickly and Annie didn't have time to realize that it wasn't Mags before she threw herself at him. "Annie?" Annie stepped back quickly. "I'm sorry, the thunder scared me, and I just-when you opened the door…I wasn't thinking." Finnick ignored her rambling and stared at her for a moment, "Are you okay?"

She was still catching her breath. Annie wanted to laugh, but realizing that you weren't as stable as you thought you were wasn't that funny. "I'm fine. I can come back later."

"Don't be silly, come in." She stepped through the door and Finnick touched her shaking hand. "Are you sure you're alright?" Annie tried to smile, pulling her hand away, "yes, I'll be fine."

Annie's breathing was still frantic, but now she wasn't sure if it was because of the thunder or because she hadn't been prepared to see him here. Mags was sitting in a recliner in the living room and she smiled when she saw Finnick and Annie walking together. "Annie, it's so good to see you."

"Hey, Mags."

Finnick gestured for her to take a seat, "I'll make some tea." He said, heading into the kitchen. Mags watched Annie as Annie watched Finnick until he was out of the room. "So," Mags said, "what brings you over?"

"I wanted to talk to you about something, but it can wait until later." Mags knew that it had to do with Finnick, if they couldn't discuss it now. So, instead the two women talked about Annie's time in the Capitol, and Mags lectured her over her bad choices. Annie couldn't help but smile, Mags was like her grandmother, criticizing her in a laid back kind of way.

Finnick came back into the room with three mugs full of tea. He placed his on the table, handed Mags hers, and then leaned over to Annie. He came so close, she could smell him, a scent that she hadn't smelled in months, but it felt like yesterday that she was resting her head on his chest and breathing it in. Their eyes met, "thank you." she whispered. Finnick gave her a slight nod and sat down.

The three victors sat in silence. They each picked a spot on the walls to stare at while they sipped their tea. Each of them had different thoughts running through their minds. Annie was thinking about the poems, and wishing that she'd taken them to read over and over again. Finnick wondered why she was here, and why she wouldn't tell him. Mags was worrying about both of them.

It was only when the thunder rang again did they glance at each other. They didn't have to say what the thunder clap sounded like. They all recognized the sound of a death too well. Annie shivered, not wanting to ever hear the sound of a cannon again. "I should get home," she said as Mags and Finnick both watched her. "I'll walk you back." Finnick offered, standing up.

"It's just across the street, Finnick, I'll be okay." Annie replied quickly. As he looked at her, she wondered if this is what he meant when he'd written, _you don't have to prove that you are so strong_. "Fine," she whispered and he relaxed. They said goodbye to Mags and put their jackets back on. Once they reached the porch, they realized that it was raining. Finnick offered her his arm, and Annie took it. They ventured down the stairs and over the puddles in Mags' driveway. "What's on your mind, Annie?"

"A lot."

"Like what?" he asked.

"Why did you leave?"

"I thought it would be best for you, if you had some time away from me." Annie hesitated, "best for me, or best for you?"

"Both."

"I didn't ask you to leave." She said.

"I know."

"What I mean is, I didn't _want_ you to leave."

Finnick glanced at her, "then what do you want?"

Annie didn't answer, and as they turned into her driveway, Finnick stopped her, "Don't do this, Annie. Don't tell me that you want me to stay if you can't tell me what you want from me."

"I don't know what I want, okay?"

"Okay. But you ended this Annie, and I don't blame you, but if you're done with me, don't say things like that to me."

Annie laughed once under her breath, "Fine, Finnick." She turned on her heel and hurried up her driveway. She knew he was right. She was embarrassed that she'd said it, and it wasn't what he'd wanted to hear.

* * *

_Finnick's poems are not mine. They are lyrics to the songs Home by Mumford and Sons and It's Beginning to Get to Me by Snow Patrol_


	25. Skin and Bones by David J Roch

25. Skin and Bones

In her dream, Annie stood in the crowd, waiting for Capri to call the tributes. She stood in the Victor's section for the first time, next to Mags. Finnick was on her other side, and he was winking at a girl in the front row. Annie watched as the girl's face flushed and she glanced at her feet. When Finnick met Annie's hard stare, he shrugged, "What? You broke up with me, Annie. Don't give me that look." Annie rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Capri. The escort dunked her green hand into the glass bowl. "Ladies and Gentlemen," she hesitated as she opened the paper, "your tribute for District 4…Annie Cresta!" Annie looked up at Capri, wide eyed, until peacekeepers had to remove her from her seat and lead her to the stage. "No," she whispered, "No. This is a mistake, I'm a victor! I've already won! There must be some kind of a mistake! Please!" No one in her dream seemed to hear her. "Now for the boys." Capri's heels clicked silently across the stage and she pulled a name from the bowl. "Finnick Odair!" Annie cried out. This couldn't happen. It was against the rules. Once you won The Hunger Games, you were promised a life of luxury, never to go back into the arena again. "Please…please don't do this to us. This isn't right, you're making a mistake!" Finnick was climbing the stairs, and Annie ran to him, "Finnick, tell them! Tell them we can't go back!" Finnick looked her in the eyes, and his expression was like nothing she'd ever seen in real life. His eyes were hard, cold…inhuman. He walked right past her to take his place on the stage. Annie screamed and cried and begged, but no one acknowledged her.

She woke up with a start, and realized that she couldn't sit up. A long, tan arm was thrown over her chest. Annie relaxed, running her fingers over his bare skin. Finnick slept beside her, shirtless, his face turned towards her as he looked perfectly peaceful in sleep. She pretended, at least for the moment, that she didn't know what she knew, that none of it had even happened. Annie ran her hand over his cheek. She caressed his jaw with her fingertips, light as a feather, not wanting to wake him up. If she woke him up, she'd have to tell him to leave.

Annie slowly slid closer to him, letting her face rest inches from his. She just stared, wishing that she could see his eyes and get that awful image of him from her mind. It was an expression that she was long ago afraid of; when she'd watched him on TV in his Games. She remembered how she'd wished she never see those same eyes. Finnick's arm was heavy in sleep, resting on her hip as they faced each other.

Maybe she could wake him up, just to see his eyes, and then say that he could stay, just for tonight. She sighed, knowing that she couldn't do that. He was right about what he'd said on the way home from Mags'. If she didn't know what she wanted from him, she needed to stop giving him false hope.

At that moment, Annie heard a familiar noise. She'd heard it twenty three times before. She'd heard it the other night at Mags' house. Suddenly Finnick's eyes flew open at the sound, and his eyes were red as blood.

Annie sat up, screaming and panting. She was alone on her bed this time. The door flew open and her mother hurried in. "Shh, shh, Annie it's okay! Annie, you're safe." Annie let her mother soothe her, and knowing that she had to work in the morning, Annie pretended to calm down so that her mom could get some sleep. Annie knew she would get no more of that tonight. When her mom was gone, Annie looked at the clock. It was five in the morning. The fishermen would be the only people out at this hour. But, the inception of her night's dreams had her way too wired to fall back asleep. Annie got up and dressed herself, wishing that she didn't have to. As much as she wanted to see Finnick, to assure herself that her dreams weren't real, she knew she had to give him space. His outburst had surprised her. Annie knew that he was frustrated; she knew that he missed her; she knew that he loved her. And she felt the same way.

Annie walked down the beach outside of her home in the Victor's Village. This beach was more crowded than the one by her old home. Victors tended to see the beauty in the ocean better than others. She passed a few that she recognized from the village, waving slightly. They were all in the same mood she was though, so luckily no one wanted to chat. That was the thing about Victors. They understood each other. It didn't matter what they had in common or how similar their Games were, they all fought the same demons, just different faces. While the rest of the world judged her and said that she wasn't a true Victor because she won by default, the Victors knew how hard it was for her.

There was something about being a Victor that you couldn't explain. Annie couldn't describe it to her parents, and Finnick couldn't describe it to his either. They shared a bond, an understanding of each other. Being a Victor, you learn things that people should never live to know, like the fact that life leaves a person's lungs first, and their eyes last.

* * *

Annie stepped onto the port, watching the boats sway in the wind. Besides the peacekeepers, Victors were the only ones with the privilege, and enough money, to own boats. She sat down at the edge of the wooden dock. The morning was foggy, and she couldn't see more than a few feet ahead of her. It made her shiver.

"Hey," Annie turned to see a boy, standing on his boat beside her. She knew who he was, but she'd never talked to him. His name was Rival Cost. He won a few years after Finnick, while Annie was too focused on her new relationship to pay his Games any attention. Well, that and the fact that she'd pitied him and hadn't wanted to watch. He was eighteen when he was reaped. All he had to do was survive one more year and he'd be free; as free as he could. Annie remembered that Rival had a brother. He looked about six, and his cries rang through the district from his age groups' section. Annie remembered that Rival had taken a deep breath, held his head high, and taken the stage, trying to ignore his brother and look strong. "Hey," she answered.

"I haven't seen you around here lately."

"I haven't been down here. I don't have a boat."

"Doesn't Finnick?" Annie shrugged, "yeah, I guess I just had more to worry about here."

"You should think about getting yourself one of these. When you're out on the water, it's almost like our world doesn't exist. It's just you and the water."

"Water's not always safe." Rival hesitated, knowing that Annie had almost drowned in her Games. He also knew that she was the newest member of the Victor club. He knew that she lived with her parents in the village, a street over from his home. He knew that she was close with Mags and dated Finnick Odair…somehow. He, personally, wouldn't be able to get past the whole _sold to the Capitol_ thing.

"No, I guess not." He answered, shifting his weight. Annie sighed, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. Rough morning."

"Nightmares?" Annie raised an eyebrow and nodded. Of course. Rival stepped off of his boat and sat down next to her, "Don't you have a boyfriend to talk to about this stuff?"

Annie peered at him out of the corner of her eye, "not anymore. Why? Am I annoying you?"

"No, of course not. Do you want to talk about it?" Annie waved her hand, "no, I'll be fine." After a long pause, Rival asked Annie something that no one had. "Will you?" She looked at him. "Excuse me?"

He shrugged, "I don't know. You just don't seem fine to me."

"Well, neither do you." She answered, a little bit offended. No one had ever said that. No one had ever been so honest. Finnick, her parents, Mags, they all promised that she would be okay.

Rival chuckled, "No, I guess none of us are." Annie nodded, "we probably never will be."

The silence between them didn't feel strange. It was actually nice…to sit with someone who understood; someone who wasn't concerned about her mental state. "So, what'd you mean when you said you don't have a boyfriend anymore?"

"We broke up."

"Why?" Annie laughed, "You're pretty nosy, aren't you?" Rival shrugged, smirking.

"It's a long story." Rival nodded slowly, "well, if you're interested, a few of us are going to have a little fire on the beach. You're welcome to join us."

"Who's us?"

"A few of my friends. I'll introduce you." he smiled, and Annie felt uncomfortable. "Oh no," she answered, "I don't think so."

"Think about it, it'll be fun." Rival jumped up, walking back towards his boat, "See you later, maybe." He called over his shoulder with a wave.


	26. Bleed by Hot Chelle Rae (acoustic)

26. Bleed

Annie spent the rest of her day and half of her night sitting by her window in a rocking chair. Her mind was in another place, and no one bothered to snap her out of it. When she finally realized what time it was, she was sitting alone in her dark room. Annie pulled on clothes and tied her hair into a pony tail, deciding that she would go to Rival's fire. Why not, she thought, it wasn't like she'd been doing anything important. Her father was out on a fishing boat and her mother was working late. It seemed like a good way to get out of the house.

It wasn't hard to find them, Rival's "little fire" was actually a bon fire. She could see the smoke the moment she stepped onto the beach. Annie pulled her jacket closer to her body, feeling the breeze from the ocean.

Rival glanced up at her as she approached, "Annie Cresta, I'm surprised you came."

Annie just smiled. Rival planted his beer into the sand and stood up, "Guys, this is Annie." Annie glanced around the small group of people, but only one face was familiar to her. The head peace keeper sat with a beer in his hand, smiling up at Annie. Annie shivered, Dutch had always scared her. It wasn't just because he was the head peace keeper; he had something in his eyes that was cold and emotionless. She didn't want to know what made him that way.

Annie straightened as the smile on Dutch's face fell. She reminded herself that she was a Victor now; she had no reason to be afraid of him. "Nice to see you Ms. Cresta, I'm confused, where's Finnick?" Dutch asked. Annie hesitated and glanced at Rival, "he couldn't make it," she answered as evenly as she could. Dutch shrugged, "well, have a seat, have a beer." It was strange. The only time she'd ever interacted with him was when Finnick was going into The Games and she'd requested to say goodbye.

She did as he said, and tried her best to be social with Rival's friends. After a lot of beers, bad jokes, and yawns, the night was almost over. The fire was only embers. Most of them were drunk, and Annie had to admit, she was pushing it. She'd never been drunk before, and tonight didn't seem like a bad night to try it. "Alright, we should probably start getting out of here," Dutch said. The others laughed, "Oh, now you're going to enforce some laws." Rival joked. Dutch smiled, but the hardness in his eyes were a warning; do not question his authority. Just because he had spent the night drinking on the beach with a couple of Victors did not mean that he wouldn't throw you in jail the first chance he got.

Annie looked out at the water in her drunken haze, she was not completely sober, but she surely wasn't drunk enough to see what she thought she was seeing. He stood at the shoreline, a few yards away. Phoenix was staring out at the sea, but his head turned to look at her, almost like he'd felt her gaze. "Annie, you ready to go? I'll walk you home." Annie glanced up at Rival, only for an instant, but when she looked back, Phoenix was gone.

Annie shook her head, blaming the alcohol. _Phoenix is dead. You're just drunk,_ she repeated to herself over and over.

Annie didn't speak as she walked beside Rival. Her mind was trying to come up with explanations for seeing her dead tribute partner. She could think of a few comfortable reasons, like the alcohol or her tiredness. But what if she'd seen a ghost? What if she was crazy? Those alternatives were too frightening to imagine.

"So what did you think?" Rival asked, pushing his hands into his pockets. "Of what?" Annie asked, confused.

He laughed, "The night, I guess?"

"I didn't know you were friends with Dutch," Annie responded casually. Rival shrugged in return, just as guarded. Peace keepers and Victors were not typically close. "He patrols the beach. Every now and then he'll stay and have a few beers."

"It's kind of odd." Annie answered. Rival didn't know how to respond, so he didn't. When they got to Annie's front porch, he hesitated, looking uncomfortable, "well, goodnight, Annie."

"Goodnight." Rival smiled slightly, and then turned and walked towards his own house, only glancing over his shoulder to look at her once. When he was out of sight, Annie let out a heavy sigh. When she opened her eyes, she saw Finnick sitting on his porch across the street. His face was in the shadow, but she felt his familiar stare. Annie stifled the feeling of comfort at seeing him. She wanted more than anything to walk across the street, curl up in his lap and tell him everything about her dreams, thoughts, the poems she'd found, her morning down at the dock, her night by the fire, seeing Phoenix. Instead, she turned her back to him and went inside.

As Annie closed the door behind herself, her feet stood in a puddle of water. "What the-" Annie glanced up and around the room. She followed the trail of water across the floor. It led her into the living room and stopped in front of the fire. "Mom...Dad?" She took deep breaths, forcing herself to relax. Maybe her father had gotten wet on the boat, or her mother had gone for a midnight swim or something.

She called out their names again, but the house was silent. Annie's heart rate increased as she glanced around the room. "Mags?" she knew it couldn't be Finnick, he was just on his porch, and he'd never play some scary prank on her. Annie grabbed the fire poker, wielding it in her hand like she'd held the knives in her Games.

Her instincts kicked in, she felt the threat, and she was instantly ready for the fight. It surprised her; she'd thought that when it came to fight or flight, she would have chosen flight.

Annie walked towards the kitchen to check, her weapon tight in his first, but no one was there. When she turned back to the fireplace, a figure stood in the puddle of water that she'd just been standing in.

Annie released a blood curdling scream, dropping the fire poker. If it were anyone else, maybe she could have fought. But, the boy in front of her was dead. He drowned. He died and she won. Grimm was covered in water, his face was white, and she knew that this was how he'd looked when he died. Annie's voice broke and her scream was silent now, tears streaming her face. She fell to her knees, and saw the satisfied smile cross Grimm's lips.

Just as quickly as he had appeared, he vanished. Just like Phoenix did. Annie didn't move. The water seemed to disappear with Grimm, but she was still too shaken to get up. So she stayed, kneeling where she was until a pair of arms pulled her to her feet, lifted her off the floor and carried her to the couch. Annie clutched to his shirt, burying her face in his chest. The smell of him wasn't familiar, but she didn't notice at the moment, her mind was wild.

"Shh, its okay, you're okay," His voice was familiar, but it didn't belong to Finnick. Annie recognized it instantly, and she lifted her head slowly to look at him. Before she could notice anything else, the cut across his neck caught her eye and she stared. Of course it wasn't Finnick, he never would have heard her scream. The walls of the homes in the Victor's Village were soundproof for that exact reason; so they didn't have to hear each other's nightmares. She jumped out of his lap, crawling across the floor until her back was against the wall on the opposite side of the room.

"Annie, I'm not going to hurt you,"

"H-How…it's not possible," She curled herself up and rocked back and forth, murmuring to herself. "You needed me," Phoenix said simply. Annie squeezed her eyes shut, continuing to whisper to herself. "He's not real, he's not real, he's not real…"

"Annie, would you just listen to me?" Annie shook her head fiercely at him. She heard him sigh and stand up, but she still didn't open her eyes. Her muscles tensed when she felt his fingers stroke her hair. She wanted him to go away. She was so afraid. So confused.

She didn't budge, just kept telling herself that he wasn't really there. "I'll be back, Annie, when you're ready." Even with her eyes closed, Annie could feel his presence leave. Her entire body shook. She opened her eyes slowly, expecting to see another dead person from her past, but the room was empty. Annie flew to her feet and out the door. She didn't bother closing it behind her.

Finnick was no longer on his porch, but went inside anyways. He was standing in the kitchen, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, his hair a mess. He turned around to place his cup of tea on the island and noticed her. He didn't jump, just met her eyes evenly. "What's wrong?" He said it cautiously, seeing the fear, sadness and confusion in her gaze.

Annie was too relieved to see his eyes and hear his voice. She let out a sob and crossed the room as quickly as she could. She threw herself into him, and although he hesitated, he wrapped his arms, and the blanket, tightly around her. Finnick was scared, she'd never clutched to him so tightly, and he'd never heard the noise she made come from her. "Annie, what is it?"

The sound of his voice, his arms, his heartbeat, it was so real. She wanted to shake the feeling of Phoenix off her skin, the sight of Grimm from her mind.

Finnick didn't know what to do, he'd never seen her like this, and she wouldn't speak. He put his hands on her hips and gently tried to push her back, so he could read her face, find answers there. She only whimpered and held onto his neck even tighter, refusing to let go. Finnick sighed, picking her up into his arms. He carried her up the stairs and into his bedroom. He placed her on the bed, finally seeing her face. She looked tired, her eyes were vacant.

"What do you want me to do, Annie? Please, just tell me how I can help." His voice was desperate, knowing that this was more than a nightmare or a bad day.

"Stay with me," she whispered. It was only a few days ago that she'd thought she could make it without him. Now she realized that it wasn't true.

* * *

_A/N: I hope you guys are liking Rival so far! and oh, welcome back Phoenix...what? Remember Dutch? yeah, we hate him. Just a quick refresher in case you forgot, since I know it was FOREVER ago that these characters were introduced, Dutch is from chapter two. Phoenix was Annie's tribute partner who's head was cut off, and Grimm was the last person to die in the arena, he's also the one who killed Phoenix. This was always how I imagined Annie going crazy. I never pictured her as being weak or helpless, and she's not about to become please! I desperately need critique on this chapter!_


	27. Try by Zack Berkman

Okay, sorry its been so long, but here's chapter twenty seven! i decided i'd give yall a sappy love chapter since my last chapter and the ones to come are going to be pretty gruesome with the whole...going crazy and seeing ghosts thing. Enjoy the romance:')

* * *

27. Try

Annie opened her eyes the next morning and was looking out at the ocean view from Finnick Odair's bed. She could feel his arm draped over her waist and his hand covering her own. She felt his lips at the back of her neck and she took a deep breath. Closing her eyes again, she allowed herself to feel happy. Being in his bed, in his arms, hearing his breathing mix with the waves, it felt right. She'd never felt so complete in her entire life. She didn't want to think about the night before. She felt sober now, and she felt comfortable blaming what happened on the alcohol.

She wanted to see his face while he slept, so she slowly turned over to face him. Finnick sighed, but did not wake up. Annie watched his eyelids flutter as he slept. With her index finger, she gently touched the corner of his lip, where it curled up slightly. He was having a good dream, Annie thought with a smile of her own.

She ran her hand over his cheek, feeling the warmth. Her fingers found his hair, and she brushed it out of his face. The slight smile on his face fell, and his eyebrows pushed together. His eyelids were moving faster now, and she knew that his dream had gone bad.

"Finnick," she whispered, "It's okay, I'm here." She said it soothingly, trying not to wake him up, but instead pull him out of the nightmare and back to the good place that he was in before. "I love you, and you're okay." She continued. Finnick's features slowly relaxed, as did his breathing.

She'd have to ask him about what he was seeing later, she reminded herself. She continued to watch him, absently running her fingers through his hair. It felt good to be there for him. It seemed like he was always the one comforting her.

Annie heard his breath quicken again, and she knew that he was waking up. He didn't open his eyes though, he just sighed. "I can feel you staring at me." he murmured.

Annie laughed, pulling her hands away from his face and rolling onto her back; she folded them on her stomach and looked up at the ceiling. Finnick grumbled, drawing her back to him. She laughed again and his voice was hoarse with sleep, "where do you think you're going?"

"You said you didn't want me to stare at you." Finnick finally opened his eyes. "No, I said I could feel you looking, I didn't say I didn't like it." As he looked at her, the events of the night before came back to him. "What happened last night?"

"Nothing. I just had a bad night."

"Annie," he warned, "I've known you my whole life; I know that that was more than just a bad night. Talk to me." Annie hesitated, taking a deep breath; she changed the subject, "what were you dreaming about?"

He eyed her, wondering if he should continue fighting or just let it go. "You," he answered quietly, playing with her fingers, "always you."

She decided not to push it, "I'm sorry for last night, I just needed to be with you."

"It's okay. I know the feeling." He answered. Annie's eyes softened, "I haven't made any of this very easy for you, have I?" she asked, remembering their argument in the rain when he'd asked her to figure out what she wanted.

Finnick rolled his eyes, "it's not your fault. I haven't made your life very simple either."

She sighed, "And somehow we can't let it go." Finnick glanced up at her, "Look, I know that everything about us is complicated and to most people it wouldn't be worth it, but I don't want to have to pretend that I'm not insanely in love with you anymore."

"I have no idea how we're going to make this work. But we'll find a way. We have to."

Finnick's eyes closed, "you have no idea how good it is to hear you say that. I feel so selfish, Annie. I can't give you the life that you deserve. You deserve a better man than me."

"Don't say that. I know that you're not the person Snow makes you. You're perfect, Finnick."

"Where we come from, you learn to make the best of things. You've always had the best of me, Annie, and I'm all yours, somehow."

Annie's eyebrows pushed together as she stared into his eyes, he was so good with words. "Finnick, I found your poems, and I read a couple of them."

Finnick opened his mouth to answer, but he was too surprised. It wasn't what he'd expected her to say. "They're beautiful," she continued. "I'd love it if I could hear you read some."

"Those were just meant for me; to get my emotions out."

"I wish you could have said it to me." She replied. Finnick felt embarrassed, wondering which ones she'd read. "Well, it's not important now." he said.

"Of course it's important."

"Annie, please, I didn't mean for anyone to read those." She hesitated, "I'm sorry."

"No, don't apologize." He kissed her forehead, "I love you." Finnick kissed her slowly, both of them remembering what it felt like. Annie sighed, smiling. It warmed her to hear the words, "say that again." she murmured against his lips.

Finnick laughed, "I love you."

"I love you too."

Annie stood up from the bed, "now where are you going?" Finnick asked, sitting up on one elbow, his other hand stretched out to her; too temptingly. She smirked at him, "I'll make you breakfast."

"Why don't we make it together?" Finnick stood up, and Annie realized that he only wore a pair of sweatpants. Her eyes lingered at his chest, how had she forgotten how perfect he looked?

"On second thought," she said quickly, crossing the bed on her knees to reach him. "Breakfast can wait," Annie murmured, pulling Finnick back into bed. Finnick chuckled, but wrapped his arms around her, laying her down gently onto the blankets and lightly suspending himself over her.

Two hours later, Annie stood in the kitchen by the stove. She wore his shirt, which barely reached her thighs, and socks. Finnick watched from his seat at the island as she worked. Without her seeing, he pulled out the papers from his back pocket.

_#125- the way she looks in my shirt._

_#126-how she hums to herself when she cooks, without realizing._

As Finnick glanced over his hefty list, he smiled to himself. He'd decided to make the list before they'd gone on their break, but during their time apart, he'd only thought of more things he loved about her. Now he had 126 reasons why Annie Cresta was the love of his life. "What are you smiling about?" He glanced up. Annie stood across the kitchen, her ocean eyes inquisitive, and her dark mane framing her face. It was on his list, that look she gave him when she was curious.

"Nothing," he replied.

"What do you have there?"

Finnick shrugged, "It's nothing," he hoped that his nonchalance would suppress her interest. "Finnick, give it here." Finnick sighed; he'd planned on sharing it with her on her bad days, to help her feel better. Instead, he passed it across the small island to her. As their hands both held the sheets of paper, Annie met his gaze, expecting him to give her some kind of explanation; instead they were empty, wide, and innocent.

_"Number one; her kindness._

_ Number two; the way she laughs._

_ Number three; how she scrunches her nose when I tease her._

_ Number four; her ocean eyes_

_ Number five; the way she says 'good morning' and 'I love you'_

Annie glanced up at him, "what is this?"

"It's why I love you." he answered simply. Annie flipped through the pages, "You have one hundred and twenty six reasons to love me?"

He smiled, "So far."

"When did you do this?"

"I add to it whenever I want to, but I've had it for almost a year now." Annie just stared at him. Was it even possible to love someone as much as she loved him? Maybe the only good thing in her life was that he loved her back just as much. Without another word, Annie crossed the room and placed herself between his legs. She smiled down at him as his hands ran over her back. She kissed him gently, with all the love she had in her heart, she wanted him to know. Annie wasn't good with words like he was, but she needed him to know that she felt the same way. This kiss wasn't urgent like that morning's, it wasn't rushed or pleading. When she pulled away, his eyes were soft, "what was that for?"

"For loving me." she answered quietly. He smiled, "I really do, sweetheart, but you're burning our food." Annie jumped away, skipping back to the stove and swearing under her breath as Finnick chuckled.

"I'm a lousy cook," she grimaced.

"Could you pass me back my list?" Annie did so, and watched as he added one more.

_#127-how cute she looks when she frowns._


	28. For You by Angus & Julia Stone

Sorry it's been so long, i'll try my best to upload the next chapter faster! let me know what you think:)

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28. For You

Annie knew that he'd be home tonight. He'd already been gone for two weeks; he had to be home tonight. Annie wasn't sure if she could handle another night alone. For the past two weeks, she'd been seeing her dead competitors from her Games. They were everywhere. She couldn't make them go away, no matter what she did. She would be walking through the town square, and she'd catch a glimpse of Phoenix in the crowd. The first time it happened, she'd screamed. Annie had accepted that seeing the dead tributes was due to the alcohol that night of the bonfire.

Of course, everyone in the square turned to stare at Annie. She dropped her basket, closed her eyes, and cupped her hands to her ears, mumbling to herself. A woman tried to soothe her, but Annie knocked her to the ground and continued to chant, _"He's not here, he's not here, he's not here."_

After a while, when a few townspeople had helped the woman up, Annie slowly opened her eyes. People were still watching her, and she glanced around the crowd, meeting their eyes. None of them were Phoenix, though.

Luckily, they only appeared in public places, at least for now. Annie was extremely jumpy. Everyone and everything made her jolt, expecting Phoenix or Grimm to be there. She'd seen Grimm a handful of times, as well as Luna, Egypt, and Thorne. They never spoke to her though, none of them; not since Phoenix did that first night. He'd said he wanted to help her, hadn't he? That didn't make any sense to her, seeing them only made her crazier, especially to other people.

Annie heard the district whispering as she walked, just like they always had. But now it almost seemed like they feared her; like they didn't want her craziness to rub off on them. Anytime she saw one of her demons, she'd do the same thing; hands over ears, eyes closed, _"they're not there, they're not there, they're not there."_

Tonight was different though. Maybe it had something to do with her thinking that Finnick would be home, but Annie felt like the air was different tonight. She was on her way from her home in the victor's village to the cottage.

She carried a small bag of clothes, snacks, and candles. She planned to set up the cottage so that Finnick could relax when he got home. Annie slipped her sandals off when she reached the beach, letting her toes sink into the cold sand. She walked with her eyes on her feet. She didn't feel like meeting anyone's eyes tonight, they always made her feel ghastly and put her in a bad mood.

Annie bumped into a man at least two feet taller than she, "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't even see-"

It took Annie a moment to recognize the face that she was apologizing to. But as soon as she did, her hands trembled. She slowly glanced from his face to his chest. The knives that Annie had landed there were still intact. Clash. The tribute from District 11 that had hunted Annie. Her eyes darted back up to his face at the same time that she jumped backwards, falling on her back. His face held a menacing smile. Annie didn't scream though, she was too shocked. She'd never seen Clash before.

The tribute turned away from her and headed down the beach, the direction that Annie was on her way. The further he got, the more transparent his body became, until Annie couldn't see him anymore. She was still too frightened to move. So she sat, staring at the spot that she'd lost him, until tears finally came. And they really came. Annie was balling, her hands were still shaking, and she was struggling to breathe. No one came to her aid though. She lay down on her side, her face in the sand, but she didn't care. As Annie cried, she clutched at the sand. What was happening to her?

Finally, after hours of this, Annie felt arms pull her off the ground. The scene felt all too familiar though, and Annie flailed out of them, not wanting to see Phoenix, especially not wanting him to touch her again.

"Shh, it's me." Annie looked up at Finnick, and when he tried again, she allowed it. She buried her head in his chest as he bent down to get her bag, and then she felt him walking. He didn't say a word until he'd carried her all the way to the cottage. Even then, he set her on the couch and went to the kitchen. She heard him making tea, and she reached for the blanket on the back of the sofa.

Annie wrapped herself in it and stared at the fireplace. There was no fire, but she imagined there was. Annie wanted to cry more, but she didn't have any tears left. Her throat was on fire from all her crying and shouting. She knew she looked like a mess, but that was the least of her worries.

When Finnick came back and handed her a cup of tea, Annie didn't look away from the fireplace. Finnick sat down in the chair across from her and wrung his hands together.

"Something is very wrong with me." she admitted quietly, knowing that he wasn't going to ask for an explanation. Finnick just nodded, even though she wasn't watching him. "I can see them." She continued. This time she waited for his voice, "who?"

"The tributes." Finnick hesitated, trying to put her words together. Annie glanced at him, waiting for a response. "It's normal to see things like that Annie. I can't tell you how many times I've thought I saw Vega."

"No. You don't understand. I see them. I see them the way they looked when they died. Phoenix even talked to me." her voice cracked.

"That night that you…" Finnick trailed off. Annie nodded, her eyes welling up with tears that she couldn't believe were still inside her, "that was the first time."

"We'll find someone who can help you, Annie." His statement broke her heart. Because she knew that he thought she was crazy too. He knew that he couldn't help her. He knew that she needed a professional, and that must mean that she really was insane. "Finnick, I feel like I'm losing my mind." She said through her teeth. Their eyes met, and Finnick slowly moved towards her. He kneeled before her, closing his hands over hers, he looked up into her eyes. "I promise, we'll make them go away."

* * *

Annie spent many months in Capitol therapy. She visited the place as much as he did now. She had three different doctors that consulted and analyzed. They asked her questions that she didn't have answers to. They poked at her body and her brain. They watched her while she slept. They made her talk about her childhood.

They showed her different images and monitored her heart rate when she saw the pictures. That was the hardest exercise. They started off by showing her pictures of the ocean, her family, Finnick's family, and home. And then they showed her pictures of Phoenix and Clash and Grimm and the others. Those ones got her heart going wild. The last one they showed her was a photograph of herself. Annie was tucked away in her cave, and she almost didn't recognize herself. It wasn't just the dirt and the scenery that was unfamiliar though. It was her face. She looked distant and scared. At that one, Annie had started to rip the cords from her arms until the doctors stopped her, "I think that's enough for today, Miss Cresta."

Her doctors didn't want Finnick to be a part of her therapy, and he was busy enough in the Capitol anyways. So, she only saw him when they were both home.

Annie's doctors had decided to give her a new pill to try. It was supposed to "lift her spirits" Basically; it was designed to make her happier. Strangely, it worked quite well. The doctors were very pleased with themselves, and decided it would be alright if they sent Annie home for a couple of days and give themselves a vacation. Annie agreed adamantly. She knew that Finnick was going home tonight too, and they'd probably even end up on the same train.

She didn't feel like herself because of those blissful pills, which was ironic because the thought would have made her sad had she not been on them. But, they didn't just make her happy, they made her energetic. And she was restless before she even got out of the hospital doors. Annie couldn't help but have a bounce in her step as she walked. She felt like dancing. The train station was in view, but she could hear the music coming from a local club, and her mind and body pulled her in that direction. Her heart craved to see Finnick, but the rest of her knew that he'd be full of serious questions and worried looks. She just didn't want to deal with it, not when she was on such a high. She wanted to have fun. So, her feet led her to the club.

It was a familiar place, but it reminded her of a dream. She wondered if she'd dreamed of the place, or if she'd ever been here. As she looked around, the colors and people and sounds all blended together in her memory. Annie shook her head, heading towards the dance floor.

When she reached it, she started to dance, moving through the people and feeling the beat of the music through the floor boards. Annie met the eyes of a young girl who looked very familiar, but Annie was sure that she'd never met her. But, since she wasn't exactly herself tonight, Annie made her way through the crowd until she reached the girl, who was clearly intoxicated. Neither of them cared. Annie threw one arm on the girl's shoulder, her other hand grasped her own hair. Annie could feel the sweat sticking her clothes and her hair to her body already. The girl didn't question Annie either, and soon a group of boys came to surround them.

Annie could barely hear the music anymore, but she still moved her waist with the beat of the floor and the music that was beating her chest. She'd never felt like this, never experienced anything like it. She tossed her head toward the ceiling and suddenly felt weightless. Her head didn't feel attached to her body, her arms and legs felt like feathers. The boys closed closer and closer, making it hotter and hotter. The girl still danced across from her, and Annie smiled at her. The girl smiled back.

Annie glanced around the club, people dancing and kissing, their faces changing color as the lights glowed differently. Annie's energy jumped again when she saw Finnick near the entrance, looking at her. Her eyes lit up, and she pushed her way through the crowd until she reached him. As she did, she jumped onto him, wrapping her legs around his waist, forcing him to hold her up. His hands held her back and she smiled; eye level with him. Annie kissed him until he gently pulled away. She only wrapped her arms around his neck, ignoring his hesitance. "Making friends?" he asked.

Annie glanced back at the girl and the group of boys, "Yes," she answered; her voice animated. Finnick's eyes flickered back to the group of people Annie had been dancing with and Annie ran her fingers along his face, "don't be jealous."

"I'm not." He met her eyes again. Annie wiggled in his grip, reaching his cheek with her lips; she ran them over his skin, moving down to his neck. Finnick slid his hands from her waist to her legs and smoothly rocked her back so he could see her face. "What have you had to drink?"

"Nothing. I hardly just got here." Finnick looked into her eyes, trying to see whatever substance she was on, "Why are you acting this way?" Annie laughed, "What, happy? Is it so bad?" Finnick shook his head, "no, of course not, but it's just…not you."

Annie rolled her eyes, "My doctors gave me a new medicine. It's supposed to raise my energy." She pressed her body closer to him, "I think it works," she whispered against his lips. Finnick looked behind Annie; the girl she'd been dancing with was walking towards them. Even though Annie couldn't recall why she was familiar, Finnick knew exactly who she was.

Johanna Mason. She was the newest Victor; from District 7, she'd won her Games by playing weak until the last few days, where she unleashed her strength and skill on her unsuspecting opponents.

"You're girl is quite the dancer," Johanna stated. Finnick placed Annie back on her feet, the presence of another inner-circle Capitol member making him tense. All this girl had to do was tell President Snow that Finnick and Annie were together at a club and he could have both their families dead by sunrise. "Johanna Mason. What brings you to this part of town?" he asked.

The girl shrugged, "the music. What are you two doing here?"

"I'm honestly not sure." Finnick replied. Johanna could feel the tension on Finnick Odair. She'd been dying to meet him, more than any of the other Victors. It had everything to do with his looks. But, to her disappointment, he seemed taken. "I didn't know you two were together."

Finnick stayed quiet, just watching Johanna Mason. As the newest Victor, she was the least stable. She was the most naive and foolish when it came to Snow and the Capitol. He hoped she took his gaze as a warning. Annie finally broke their gazes, "Dance with me," she stepped between the two, getting Finnick's attention. "We should go." was Finnick's response.

Annie turned to Johanna, "what about you?" The new Victor shrugged, "I think I'm going to call it a night." And then she headed for the door. Annie watched her leave and then trained her eyes on Finnick, "You scared her off."

"Don't worry about her, she'll be fine."

"Did you know her?" Annie felt her heart drop, wondering if the girl was one of Finnick's Capitolites. Just as quickly as the moment of dread had come on, the pills expelled it, making her feel uplifted. Finnick sighed, "Let's talk about it later, we need to get home." Annie shook her head, "not until you dance with me." Finnick weighed his options with her state of mind. She was still on a high from the pills, and he supposed one dance couldn't hurt anyone.

A slow song was breezing through the room, and he led Annie to the floor. All of the couples dancing couldn't keep their hands off of each other. This wasn't like the Capitol parties. Finnick raised his hands in the position the elite used anyway. It was really the only way he'd learned how to dance. Annie laughed, slipping her hands around his waist and moving her own hips to the rhythm. Finnick moved with her, caught up in her skin and her scent.

Annie's eyes were on him as she circled around him, her hand and fingers gently running along his chest. Finnick shivered at the intimacy, he could hardly hear the music, much less notice the rest of the people in the room. When she was in front of him again, he pulled her against him and watched her smile, closing her eyes as they began to move again.

As the song changed, Finnick shook himself out of the trance, "We should go now," Annie nodded, finally looking tired. It was about three in the morning, and they wouldn't be home until the morning now.

As he walked her to the train station, he thought about the way she danced, "where'd you learn to move like that, anyways?"

Annie laughed out loud, a genuine, bottom of the heart kind of laugh, and Finnick couldn't help but smile at the sound. He hadn't heard it in so long.

"I don't know. I think it's the pills." Finnick glanced at her, remembering that she was on medication for the first time since he'd gotten to the club. "Why did they put you on them?" Annie shrugged, "they wanted to see if they're effective I guess." Annie sighed, "Finnick," she took his arm and rested her head on it, "I feel good. I feel happy."

Finnick was happy that she felt that way, but he wasn't too keen on those pills. Actually, it made him pretty angry. Her happiness was artificial, the way she felt was a lie. Of course, he didn't say that. But he did plan to have a talk with her doctors about it. Maybe they could lessen her dosage, or try a different anti-depressant.

When they finally boarded the train and got settled, Annie was passed out on top of the covers before Finnick could get her to change into pajamas. He sighed, pulling her shoes off and getting her under some blankets. Throughout the night, he watched her face, not being able to sleep himself. She smiled every so often, the corners of her lips barely reaching her eyes. Finnick couldn't stop himself from reaching over and touching her face a couple of times, and when he did, she'd lean into his touch with a sigh of contentment.


	29. The Sea and the Rhythm by Iron & Wine

29. The Sea and the Rhythm

The summer was hot. Finnick wanted to dive into the ocean and swim until autumn came. But, he had responsibilities. He had a load of responsibilities. Some of them he enjoyed, and some he could live without. Snow was a threatening man, and Finnick knew that at any moment the man could take everything Finnick loved away from him. It wasn't like the President was full of empty threats, he'd done it before. Finnick couldn't help but wonder if Snow knew everything about his relationship with Annie. It seemed the most likely, Dutch knew, now Johanna Mason knew, most of district four had figured it out. All it took was one person to open their mouth. So, why was he alive? Why was Annie? He'd pondered those questions again and again, and every answer he'd come to was far worse than death. Was he waiting for Annie to get better, so that he could welcome her into the prostitution community? Would they be forced to sleep with other people every night and then come home to each other like it wasn't happening? It was almost like how they lived now.

Or maybe Snow was keeping them alive because he knew about Finnick's arrangement with his assignments. Sex for secrets. He had as much dirt on Snow as Snow had on him. All the people that Snow has executed, all the 'terrible accidents' that he'd orchestrated, the people he'd manipulated. Those secrets didn't surprise Finnick as much as the one he'd heard about Snow drinking his victims' blood. If that was more than just a rumor, than the President was not only homicidal, but he was insane.

Finnick settled back into his seat on the train, not wanting to think about it anymore. He wanted to think of Annie, tried to picture what she'd be doing when he came home. The doctors had taken her off of the pills she was on last month and put her on something new. He hadn't had much time to spend with her since she got on them, but from what he saw, she seemed like herself. She was just calmer, at peace. They gave her a different medication to sleep through the night, but Finnick had mixed feelings about those. Of course, he was glad that the nightmares seemed to go away, but he couldn't watch her sleep anymore. She was dead to the world. He couldn't watch the smile play across her lips while her eyelids fluttered. In his opinions, she'd never looked more serene than those nights.

When he got off the train, he headed straight for Annie's home in the Victors' Village. They'd gotten into a routine that both of her parents were okay with. When Finnick was away, Annie stayed with them, when he came home, he'd join them for a meal, usually with the Odair gang meandering through the Cresta home. After dinner, Annie and Finnick would go to the cottage and spend the most time together that they could. They'd take Kaye and Echo fishing, or the beach, or spend time with Mags, or cook meals together for their parents.

It felt like a normal life. It felt like the life that he would have had full time had it not been for Snow. But, now he only got half the memories, only half the life. The other half was spent in the Capitol.

Finnick knocked on the door before opening it, "Hello?"

"Finnick? I didn't realize you'd be home tonight!" Annie's mother placed her hands on her hips, a smile inching onto her face. The woman had a smile that lit up a room, just like her daughter. "Hey, Holland, have you seen a girl about this tall," he measured Annie's height to his chest, "dark hair, eyes like the sea, she's pretty beautiful," Finnick smirked, "but I see where she gets it from." He always felt like he needed to suck up to Holland. Annie's parents weren't exactly aware of Finnick's profession. But it was clear that they weren't stupid, sometimes he could see the speculation in their eyes. Whether they didn't want to admit it, or they didn't want to get involved, he wasn't sure. Either way, Finnick tried to be the best, most polite boyfriend parents could want for their daughter.

Holland rolled her eyes, "she's at the cottage, I believe. Iver said she went there earlier this afternoon."

Ever since Annie came back from the hospital, since she started taking the pills, Iver and Holland felt a lot better about their baby girl. You could almost see the weight that was lifted off of their shoulders now that Annie was happy and healthy again.

"I'll check there, then, it was nice to see you, Holland. Give Iver my best, I'll track down Annie and I'm sure we'll be over later."

"Your family's coming over around seven." Finnick nodded, "Got it."

He headed back out of the house, toward the beach. His first priority was to find Annie, but he wouldn't mind dragging her in for a swim as soon as he reached her.

He'd mostly been watching his feet as he walked, but he looked up at the right time, because he could see Annie's mane of dark hair blowing in the breeze out on a dock that swayed in the waves. He smiled, walking towards her. Then he noticed the boy. He had blonde hair, tan skin, and he held out a soda to Annie. She took it and smiled up at him. Finnick knew the guy, he was Victor, and he lived a couple streets down from him and Annie. But he mostly recognized the man because it was the same guy who'd walked Annie home, the same night she'd spent in Finnick's bed.

After all the chaos of that night, and the months that followed, Finnick had forgotten about him. Judging by the look on the boy's face as he smiled at Finnick's girlfriend, forgetting him had been a mistake. Finnick started to move again, just slower now. He wasn't spying, he assured himself. He was just taking his time, scoping the situation out. Annie sat in a bikini top and shorts, her feet in the water, face angled up at the sun.

As Finnick stepped onto the dock, it creaked. The boy jolted, turning quickly. Annie's movements were slower. She opened her eyes and turned her head leisurely, perfectly comfortable beside this guy that Finnick had yet to meet. When she saw him, her eyes lit up, a smile bursting across her face.

"Hey, fish, hope I'm not interrupting." Finnick said as Annie pushed herself to her feet. "You're home!" she cried, flinging herself into his arms. Finnick's eyes dropped from the blonde boy and focused on Annie. He took her face in his hands and kissed her, his mouth forming to hers as her hands fell to his waist. Maybe the intensity of his kiss had a little something to do with claiming his territory, but it wasn't like he wouldn't have kissed her like that anyway. It'd been three weeks since he'd seen her last.

When he finally released her, she smiled, "what was that for?"

"I missed you," his own smile mirroring hers, he forgot about the boy, "a lot." She laughed, "you can miss me some more, if you want to."

He laughed too, running his fingers down her cheek, "yeah?" she nodded, biting her bottom lip as her eyes tempted him to do exactly that. Before he could, he heard the man clear his throat. Annie spun around, "Rival, I'm sorry, this is Finnick." Rival. The guy smiled, "I've heard a lot about you." he offered his hand, which Finnick shook. His eyes narrowed as he analyzed Rival's face. "We haven't met." Finnick said simply. Rival shrugged.

"That's my fault, I guess." Annie smiled shyly, embarrassed, "I suppose I just never thought of it."

"It's alright, I'm glad I have the opportunity. All she talks about is you. I feel like I know you myself." Rival and Annie laughed, and Finnick forced himself to join in. Maybe Rival wasn't so bad. But there was still something about him, Finnick was getting a 'hey your girlfriend is really hot and I kind of want her' vibe from Rival.

After more small talk and a goodbye hug that Finnick wasn't a fan of, he suggested they should go, didn't want to be late for the Odair-Cresta dinner tonight.

Annie laced her fingers into his as they walked, and Finnick looked down at their hands. He wondered how the image of it could look and feel so right. "So, you seem pretty close to Rival, why haven't I ever met him?"

Annie shrugged, "I don't know, when you're here, there's not really time, and when you're not, we just kind of run into each other every once in a while and hang out. He's a good guy; I think you'll really like him."

"I'm sure I will. You've just never mentioned him before." Annie looked up as she tried to read his face, "It didn't come up. Wait. Are you jealous?"

"He's not exactly ugly, Annie." Her hand dropped from his, a playful smile masking her shock, "oh my god, you're such an insecure boyfriend right now!" Finnick waved her off, "I didn't say that."

"It's all over your face!" she pointed a finger at him, "You're jealous. You think Rival is prettier than you!"

Finnick gave her a warning look, "are you asking to go for a swim right now?" Annie shook her head adamantly.

"I think you are," he continued, taking a step closer. Annie squealed, "No! Finnick, don't you dare!" He caught his arm around her waist before she could jump out of his reach. "Finnick, no! I'm sorry! You're not insecure! You're a big, strong, sexy man who isn't jealous at all!" she shouted as he walked her down the beach, slung over his shoulder. He stopped where the waves met the sand, placing her on her feet. She looked up at him, and both of their eyes held a playful, carefree spark that hadn't been there since they were just kids. "Say it." he prompted. Annie smirked, taking a step closer and hooking a finger through his button down shirt. "He ain't got nothing on you, baby." She said coolly. Finnick laughed, "That's my girl."

* * *

After dinner and a few rounds of card games that Finnick was certain his brothers had made up the rules to in order to help themselves win, Annie was exhausted. "You ready fish?"

"Yeah, let's go home." The words were simple enough, but it hit Finnick right in the heart. Home. Their home. She said it so casually, like this was their everyday routine. Finnick found himself wishing for the millionth time that it was.

The walk didn't take very long. Annie walked with closed eyes, her head resting on his shoulder while her hands clung to his arm. "Do you really trust me enough to walk you all the way home without your eyes open?" he chuckled. "Shh," she frowned, "I'm sleeping."

"Do I need to carry you, sleeping beauty?" Annie smiled, remembering that sleeping beauty was a princess from one of her mother's books. "No," she answered peacefully, "that would be a shorter walk."

"Are you enjoying this?" he asked. Her eyebrows pushed together as a frown appeared, "are you not?"

"You're kind of clingy."

"Don't be mean to me." she hit his arm. Finnick laughed, "Payback for calling me jealous and insecure."

"But I love you, so it's okay if you're jealous and insecure." Finnick glanced down at her, "and it's a good thing I love you back or this clingy issue would be really inconvenient."

Annie's eyes opened sleepily, "hey, new rule for our relationship, okay? I'm allowed to be mean to you, but you can't counter it."

"That doesn't sound very fair." He argued. She nestled her head back to his shoulder, "didn't anyone tell you? Life isn't fair. Sometimes your girlfriend teases you; you just have to take it like a man."

Her words were slurred, her footsteps slowing. "Alright, you bully, let me carry you home."

"If you insist," she crooned. He swept her up into his arms and she sighed as she found a nice place for her head on his chest and she wound her arms around his neck. "I take it back."

"Take what back?" he asked, unsure if she was already asleep and dreaming.

"Those mean things I said to you, you're the best boyfriend ever, and I love you. A lot. A lot, a lot, a lot. So don't leave me."

"Never." He answered instantly. Finnick kissed the top of her head and she returned the kiss to his shoulder.


	30. Alibi by The Strange Familiar

I'm sorry that it's taken so long for me to upload. I actually have a lot of ideas for the rest of this story, and I'm excited to start working on it. I hope you like this chapter! Thank you so much for the reviews, I appreciate it a lot!

Also, if any of you know of any good Finnick/Annie stories on here, let me know! I need a new one to start reading:)

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30. Alibi

Finnick made eye contact with Johanna Mason from across the room. She was dressed in a gold sequins ball gown, her hair pulled back away from her face. She lifted a brow at him and raised her drink. Finnick did the same. He was still suspicious of her, but he had to admit that she impressed him. Her strategy in the arena had been brilliant; acting like she was weak and scared, when in reality she was ruthless and talented with an ax. Even as he watched her now, she showed no fear. She was confident in herself, and it was almost like she didn't care what happened to her.

Finnick hadn't seen her since that night at the club, but he knew enough people to figure out that she lived in the Capitol now. Snow was carefully offering her assignments, giving her kind suggestions of men who would be good for her. It made Finnick's stomach sick. She was still so young.

He turned around at the feel of a hand running along his back. "I thought I lost you." Finnick smiled at the woman, searching for her name. "Sage," he said quickly, "I was just looking around for you." Sage's face lit up, like she was honored to even be remembered. She was Finnick's newest assignment, he'd met her at a party last night, and tonight he was meant to seal the deal.

Finnick's eyes searched the room one more time as he found Johanna walking in the opposite direction, a man's hand around her waist.

Sage talked for two hours about her hair, dog, and favorite Games. Finnick nodded and smiled at all the right moments, knowing that she wouldn't require any real conversation. If she'd asked him what she was saying, he knew he wouldn't be able to answer. But Capitolites didn't need that. As long as you pretended you cared, they could ramble for hours. Sage was no different. Instead, Finnick focused on keeping his eye on Johanna Mason. He wanted to know more about her, he wanted to be able to trust her and help her.

"Excuse me, Sage, I'll be just a minute." He smiled and kissed her cheek before heading to the rest rooms. When he got in, he looked at himself in the mirror for a long moment. And then he ran his hands down his face and sighed. It was draining to even _be_ in a place like the Capitol. And Finnick hated every moment of it. He glanced behind him through the mirror as the door swung open and Johanna Mason glided in. He watched in the mirror as she pushed a plant in front of the door, and when he saw her face, he turned to look at her. "You need to stop." She said. Finnick raised an eyebrow, "I need to stop doing what, exactly?"

"Watching me like a damn hawk. People notice. They'll talk."

"Are you really lecturing me about being discreet?" She paused, looking at him for a moment, "Why are you watching me?" she asked. Finnick shrugged, "You're new, this is all overwhelming…I remember. I just wanted to make sure that you're alright."

"Why do you care if I'm okay?"

"We're victors, Johanna. If we don't look out for each other, who will?"

"We've got a whole world of adoring fans, Finnick. I don't need you to care about me."

"They don't care about you, not the real you. They care about the winner; they care about the most superficial part of you."

"And you care about the real me? You don't even know me."

Finnick shrugged, "It doesn't change the fact that we're alike, Johanna. You became like me as soon as that last cannon fired. And now we both have to deal with the same consequences."

Finnick slid by her and pushed the plant out of the way. With his hand on the door, Johanna stopped him, "Wait. Just so you know, I don't plan on telling." Finnick turned back, knowing that she was referring to Annie. "We'll see." He answered simply.

Johanna understood his suspicion. She didn't blame him for not trusting her. It was clear to her that he didn't trust her. Yet he'd still offered her compassion and shown her kindness. For the first time since she won her Games, Johanna Mason felt like she had an alibi in Finnick Odair.

* * *

Finnick got off the train at two in the morning. He could have taken a later train home, but he wanted to be home as soon as possible. He needed to see Annie, even if she was asleep and dead to the world.

He walked to the cottage first; wanting to take a shower before he made his way to the Cresta's and checked on Annie. He moved through the dark house toward the bedroom.

As he flicked the switch on in the bathroom, the light carried into the bedroom and Finnick noticed her figure curled up in their bed. He frowned, wondering why she was here, by herself.

Finnick stood beside the bed, watching her face as he glanced at the clock. It was almost two thirty now. He pushed a strand of hair away from her face and quietly stepped away.

"Finnick," she mumbled, her eyes hazy as she opened them and met his. "Hi," he answered gently. She smiled, "I knew you would be home tonight."

He smiled back, kneeling beside her and taking her hand. "How did you know?" he kissed her fingers. She shrugged, "I always know. I can feel it." He stared into her eyes for a long while, wanting, wishing, and praying that she would be his forever. "What?" she asked faintly, seeing the intense expression on his face, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing." he answered, offering her another smile. She sat up, "what were you thinking just then?"

He sighed. Finnick had tried to make it his goal to never lie to her again. She'd heard enough lying from him. "I hope that you're mine forever…that's what I was thinking."

"I will be." She smiled. He tried to smile back, but the brokenness of it made her reach her hand out to touch his cheek, "why does that thought make you sad?" she asked.

"Because what if you won't? What if I lose you?"

"Finnick, you can't think like that. It's not worth it." Finnick nodded, "I know. But we're not exactly your typical couple. You deserve so much more than me, Annie Cresta, and I'm just too selfish to let you go."

"Don't give me that again. I deserve you, and you deserve me. And you know what; it's not just up to you, Finnick. You can't just 'let me go.' I don't want to be let go of!" Finnick could hear the anger rising in her voice. He looked down at their hands, wishing he hadn't told her what he was thinking. As he didn't reply, Annie's anger diminished. "Let's not fight tonight." She whispered. Finnick looked up at her eyes, and his own worries faded away. He leaned closer and kissed her slowly. When he pulled away, he rested his forehead to hers, "I'm sorry, I should have started with that kiss."

Annie slid across the bed, making room for him to join her. As he wrapped her in his arms, she curled up to his side, resting her head on his shoulder. Finnick laid the blanket back over her, and Annie traced circles on his chest.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

Annie hesitated, not sure how to word it. She didn't want to start fighting again. "What is it like?" she sighed, her voice barely audible, "the Capitol; what you do?" Now Finnick hesitated for the same reason. He wasn't sure how to explain it to her. After a few minutes of silence, Finnick sighed, "I don't know how to describe it to you." he said. Annie shifted her head to look at him. His face was angled to the ceiling, and she could only see his jaw, but it was clenched, and she knew that he was trying his hardest to find a way, to figure out how to make her understand. After everything they'd been through, she just wanted to understand. He needed her to grasp it as much as she wanted to. Annie let him think in silence for a while. And when he finally spoke, his voice was different, he sounded older; wiser…tired. "I guess, the only thing I can say is that, it's different. Having sex with those Capitolites isn't like making love with you, Annie. There's _nothing_ like making love to you. When you touch me, I feel my insides quake. And when you kiss me, I feel it all the way to my toes, you know?"

"And what does it feel like when they touch you? When they kiss you?" She asked softly, not wanting that image in her head.

Finnick glanced down at her, "like my skin is crawling. I never feel like myself. And every morning I wake up and I just feel dirty, used, and disgusted. I feel like a pawn in Snow's game. You have no idea how many times a day I wish that I were home, here, with you. And when I'm home, I always find myself wishing that I could spend every day here. I want to go to bed every night next to you, and wake up the same way. I want to visit Mags, and spend time with my brothers. I want to have family dinners and take you out. I want people to know you're mine and I'm yours."

"I know," Annie could feel the tears forming in her eyes, "I know that I'm yours and I know that you're mine."

"Annie, someday, we'll have a happily ever after." Annie choked back a sob, "I thought you didn't know the right thing to say." Finnick ran his fingers over her arm, pulling her closer, "apparently I don't if I'm making you cry."

Annie was tired of talking. She'd heard enough for one night about Finnick's time in the Capitol. She had enough to take in. She knew that when he was gone, she'd be up at night, just thinking about how he felt dirty, used, and disgusted. Annie didn't want him to feel those things.

So, she turned over and laid her body over his. His hands ran over her back, toying with the curls that rested over it. She touched his face, knowing now that he was feeling his insides quake. "I love you," she murmured as her languid eyes opened to meet his. "I love you too." He replied. Annie's eyes closed "show me." Finnick slowly touched her shoulder, pushing the thin strap of her nightgown away. He kissed the skin there before gently rolling her over so that he lay on top of her.

Annie met his eyes evenly before lifting her hips, inviting him to pull the nightgown off. When he did, she picked her head up and kissed him, understanding now that he felt the kiss all the way to his toes; because she felt it too.


	31. Keep Breathing by Ingrid Michaelson

31. Keep Breathing

Finnick and Johanna had made a habit of spending some time alone on their trips to the Capitol. Mostly they'd meet up on the rooftop of whatever hotel they were at. They'd talk about Annie and Johanna's family. Finnick learned that she had a mom and a younger brother. She didn't speak of her dad, and Finnick could tell that the wound was new.

He enjoyed having a friend that he could talk to. He liked being able to say things to her that he couldn't say to anyone else. Annie was his best friend by far, but Johanna was beginning to be a close second. She understood the love he had for Annie. She said she'd felt it once before, when she was fifteen. But that's all she wanted to say. Finnick knew it was only a matter of time before she opened up to him. She needed the friendship as much as he did.

Johanna also had a fire in her that surprised Finnick. She was fearless, much more fearless than he was. He was certain that she knew the President was a dangerous man, but he couldn't ignore the look in her eye when Snow was in a room, or when his name was praised. He'd found someone who hated that man just as much as he did. On top of all that, Johanna Mason was making Finnick's time in the Capitol more bearable. They both would prefer to meet elsewhere, but at least it was something to look forward to; their talks. When Finnick was on a train heading to the Capitol, now he had something to focus on. He thought about seeing her and tried to make a list of new things to share with her. Almost everything he wanted to say involved Annie, and he was sure that Johanna would get annoyed sooner or later. But she genuinely seemed interested.

It was one of those nights. Johanna and Finnick stood on a rooftop overlooking the Capitol; a glass of clear alcohol in each of their hands. "You never told me about that night," he said, glancing at her. "The night you met Annie."

Johanna smirked, "I was just minding my own business at that club, when all of a sudden she comes over and starts dancing. I think we were both just having a good time; feeling the music. I don't know what it was, I just felt like I knew her. Obviously I get it now; I probably just recognized her from her Games and didn't realize who she was."

"Or maybe you just felt that Victor connection." Johanna lifted a brow while she watched him, trying to see if he was serious. Finally, deciding he was unreadable, she rolled her eyes. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

"Well, Annie seems to have it with some guy she met back home. His name's Rival. I found her down on the docks by his boat a few weeks ago." Johanna rolled her eyes again, "From everything you've told me, there's nothing to be jealous of. The two of you are perfect for each other. I'm sure, in another life, you'd find your way to her just the same."

"Another life? You believe in that? Of all people…" She hit his arm, "I like to think I've been here before. I like to imagine that I was some dainty little girl living on her daddy's farm."

Finnick laughed, "I can't picture that for a second." That comment got him another slap in the arm, this time harder. "My point exactly," he said, and then dodged her next swipe. They both laughed; something Finnick wasn't sure he'd ever done in this place before. "We should get back," she said, the laughter fading and the smile falling from her face. They both seemed to remember where they were, what they were there to do. "Yeah," he answered, "We shouldn't keep them waiting."

* * *

Sorry it's such a short chapter this time, but I just wanted to set up the friendship between Johanna and Finnick. Hope you liked it! I'll update with a longer chapter as soon as I can to make it up to you!


	32. Curve of the Earth by Matt Nathanson

_A/N:_

_W__ell, I promised a long chapter! I also felt like my story was moving too slowly, so I picked it up a bit...hope you love it! reviews are always welcomed and appreciated.:) I'll be gone for the weekend so leave me some feedback to come home to! Thank you for reading!_

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32. Curve of the Earth

Annie and Finnick woke up to a pounding on the door. Finnick rolled over, his arm crossing over her body as he moaned. "What time is it?" he asked groggily. Annie just sighed, not willing to open her eyes. They both laid in silence for another moment as the knocking continued. Finnick got up with a grumble, "I'm coming," he called as he shuffled to the door.

The sight of Rival standing in front of him so early in the morning made his eyes narrow. Rival made eye contact, and then pushed by him and into their cottage, speaking quickly and too low for Finnick to understand. "Please, Rival, come in." Finnick mumbled behind his back. Rival was pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace, and Finnick laid a hand on his shoulder, "What the hell are you saying?" Rival stopped speaking and pacing, took a deep breath, and explained. "I told Dutch that I would bring Annie to this party tonight, but I didn't know you were home, and now she's not going to come, and Dutch will be angry." Finnick just stared blankly. Rival gripped Finnick shirt, his eyes desperate, "You don't get it. I swore that I would bring Annie, I don't want to know what he'll do to me if she's not there." Finnick removed Rival's hands, "Why does Dutch want Annie there so badly?"

"I don't know. I honestly don't."

"So you expect me to send the girl I love to a party where Dutch Everlong wants her there for some mysterious reason? And with you? Why did you even tell Dutch she'd be there?" Finnick questioned. Rival sighed, "I don't have an answer for that, either. I didn't think it was a big deal. But then again, it's Dutch."

"She's not going." Finnick said simply.

"Finnick, please. You can come too. Please, I'll owe you one." Finnick stared at him, "Why should I care what happens to you?"

"Because Annie will." Rival contradicted.

"We're going." Both boys turned to see Annie leaning on the doorframe to the bedroom. Finnick met her eyes, and then turned back to Rival, "We'll talk to you later." He took his arm and led him out the door.

When he came back, Annie said it again, "We're going. You're not talking me out of it."

"Annie, Rival will be fine. Dutch isn't going to risk harming a Victor. And I'm not going to risk him harming you."

"He won't. You'll be there." Finnick sighed, "Fine. We'll go." Annie walked over to him and kissed his cheek, "Don't be angry with me. What if it were Johanna who Dutch was threatening."

"Don't compare them. Johanna has Snow to threaten her." Annie paused, she could see the companionship and passion that Finnick had gained for Johanna Mason, and it made jealously surge through her.

"Alright," she answered, "It's not the same. I'm going to go take a shower." Finnick sighed, knowing that he'd upset her. "I'm sorry; it's just that Johanna's the newest Victor. Every eye in the Capitol is on her. She has a lot more to deal with than a vile peacekeeper."

"You're right." Annie said, forcing a smile, "So that shower…" she trailed off, her eyes asking. Finnick raised an eyebrow, "Annie Cresta, I'm surprised by you." Annie brought her mouth to his, "nothing we haven't done before," she murmured. The seductive tone of her voice made Finnick smile against her lips, "let's go." he said, lifting her into his arms, making Annie giggle and forget all about her jealousy.

* * *

The party was at Dutch's house. Finnick walked in with Annie's hand firmly in his. His eyes scanned the room for Dutch, finding him sitting on a couch between two girls, drinks in their hands. It was strange to see such a vicious peacekeeper laughing as he ran his thumb along a girl's leg. He didn't wear his uniform either. Finnick chuckled, wondering why he found that strange. "What's so funny?" Annie asked, glancing up at him. "Nothing," he kissed her head. "So now what?" he asked her. Annie shrugged, "we get a drink, wait for Dutch to say what he needs to say."

Finnick led her to the kitchen and poured them both a glass of clear liquor. He didn't bother to read the bottle. Annie took a sip, and coughed. Finnick laughed, "Do you want something lighter?" he asked, his eyes amused. Annie's eyes narrowed and she watched him as she finished her drink. "No more for you, then." Finnick mumbled, taking another sip of his own.

They both let their eyes wander around the room. The party consisted of people their age, but Finnick didn't recognize any of them. Annie remembered a few faces she used to go to school with. "You know what's sad?" she asked, meeting Finnick's eyes again, "I probably went to school with every person in this place. But I don't remember half of them."

"It does that to you," Finnick shrugged, knowing exactly what she meant. You forget faces so that new ones can take their place. Finnick went to school with them too, but no one looked familiar, his memories has been tainted by the kids he'd killed. Those were the faces he dreamed of. And he knew Annie had forgotten because of her own demons, too.

Finnick shook his head, finished his drink, and tried not to think about that. He glanced at Dutch again; at the same moment that Dutch noticed them. Annie wasn't looking, but Finnick didn't miss the fact that the peacekeeper's eyes lingered just a little too long on his girlfriend. The rage her felt boil inside him was nothing like what he'd felt when he saw her with Rival on the boat. It didn't even compare to the way Annie had felt earlier that morning when Finnick mentioned Johanna. He saw red. The grin that came to Dutch's face made Finnick grip Annie's hand tighter. "Ow," she broke his concentration as she pulled her hand away. "What was that?" she asked, glancing down at her hand that still hurt. The incident seemed to distract Dutch as well, and he met Finnick's hard gaze.

Dutch easily recognized the fury on Finnick's face, but he only smiled and lifted his glass. Annie's eyes followed Finnick's, and she watched Dutch for a moment, the hairs on the back of her neck standing at the sight of him. That guy had always given her the creeps. Annie looked back to Finnick, and she saw a man she hadn't seen in a long time. Finnick's eyes were livid; his body was angled to charge at Dutch. She stepped in front of him, her hands running over his face.

"Look at me," she pleaded. Finnick met her gaze, and his eyes went from enraged to unreadable. "I'm fine, Annie." He said blankly. Annie let her hands fall to his arms, where she could still feel that his muscles were tightened. "Take it easy, Odair." She warned. Finnick's eyes flickered back to Dutch, but he'd stopped paying them any attention.

Annie took his hand, "let's go for a walk." He followed her out the door, and they both took off their shoes. Finnick held the two pairs in one hand, and Annie slipped her own hand into his empty one. He lifted her hand to kiss it, "I'm sorry if I hurt you."

"I can take it." she tried to smile at him, but he glanced away. "What was that, Finnick? Why were you so angry?"

Finnick sighed, "I think I know what Dutch wants." Annie just nodded, keeping her eyes on her feet. Finnick watched her for a couple of steps and then spun her around to face him. He didn't say a word; his accusing eyes said it all. "What did you think he wanted, Finnick?" her voice was weak, even to her own ears. "I don't know what I thought, Annie. But the way he looked at you…"

"I'll be fine." She whispered. The fury returned to his eyes, "Are you that naïve? Dutch Everlong is an emotionless man who takes what he wants, Annie. He won't take no for an answer."

"God, Finnick, what do you want me to do!?"

"You could tell me when this happened, for a start." Annie sighed, taking a seat in the sand. Finnick sat down next to her. "I went to a bonfire with Rival. Dutch was there."

"So, you got his attention, and now he wants you." Finnick finished. Annie didn't reply. "I don't know; I barely talked to him that night. I guess I'm just not surprised."

* * *

They went back to the party, agreeing to stay for another hour to ensure Rival's safety. Annie had only seen Rival for a moment though, quickly enough for him to thank her for coming before he headed towards the beach with a girl on each arm. Annie rolled her eyes as he walked away. The music was loud and the beer was warm, but Annie was thankful she didn't stand out. There were a number of Victors at the party, and Annie was viewed as the crazy one. There were no boys approaching her and asking for her number. None of the girls from her class wanted to catch up, although Annie knew that they saw her here.

She looked towards the bar, thinking that Finnick was taking a bit too long with those drinks. She felt a little buzzed, the sounds of the party blended together. But the people all just annoyed her, the way they stared at her. She finally saw Finnick, standing with drinks in his hands as a girl with long blonde hair ran her finger down his arm, biting her lip. Finnick smiled at her politely, shifting his arm out of her reach. The girl only took a step closer, saying something that made Finnick lift an eyebrow. She tried to touch him again, but he took a step back and walked away.

Annie turned on her heel and made her way to the door. She sighed when her feet touched the sand. She loved Finnick more than anything, but was it really supposed to be this hard? Johanna, Rival, Snow, Dutch, random girls at parties; it seemed like no one wanted the two of them together.

She knew that Finnick hadn't done anything wrong, but there would always be girls chasing after Finnick; Capitolites or not. She remembered the night that Finnick had promised her a happy ending, and knew she wanted nothing more. Could they have that? Could they ever find a peaceful, happy relationship that didn't involve jealousy or drama?

Annie's thoughts were everywhere, and she hadn't realized how far she'd walked on the beach. The light of Dutch's house was just a dot down the beach. Annie sighed, turning around and beginning her walk back.

"You wandered pretty far, Ms. Cresta." Annie turned around and realized that there was a figure sitting in the sand. The moonlight was enough to make out Dutch's face, and she watched as he lifted a beer to his mouth. Annie kept walking, but he stood. "Not even a hello?" he asked. Annie tried to smile, "I'm sorry. Hello."

"I was surprised you came. I thought I'd have to take one of Rival's fingers for his empty promise. I think it builds character. He told me you'd be here, and then he said you might not. It's a good thing you came; I didn't really want to have to teach him a lesson about lying."

"He asked me to come, and I thought it sounded like fun." Annie tried to say it easily, but her voice shook. Dutch tossed his bottle toward the sea, "I don't like that you brought Finnick Odair, though."

"I'm sorry; I didn't think you'd mind. You were looking for him at the bonfire, so…" Dutch laughed, "Good point. I guess I can let it slide." He took a step closer and ran his fingers down her arms. Annie tried to laugh, "I should get back. You should too, I'm sure your guests are looking for you."

"We're fine here," he snarled. Annie clamped her mouth shut. Dutch's fingers were clutched in her hair, and his lips were grazing over hers. She could smell the beer on his breath, and she closed her eyes shut. _Oh god. _

He had her on her back in the sand in one quick motion. He used his leg to kick hers out from under her, and then he was on top of her. He didn't say anything, but Annie met his cold gaze. She saw the same emotionless eyes she'd always noticed when she looked at him. His eyes were lifeless, even while he did something so wicked. He started to kiss her neck, and she didn't feel like she was there. It didn't feel real. She knew that his hands were leaving bruises on her skin and that his teeth were leaving marks, maybe even drawing blood. But she couldn't feel it. She desperately tried to be somewhere else.

"Please." She heard the word, but it took her a moment to realize that it was her own voice. He didn't seem to notice her plea. Annie just laid there in the sand while he kissed, bit and bruised her body. It was only when he started to undo the button on her jeans that she woke up. Her hands frantically pushed at his waist. "No, no, no. Please, don't." he was too heavy for her to move. She continued to push, but she could feel it now, the bruises, the scratches and teeth marks he left on her neck and shoulders. She screamed, praying that someone from the party could hear it.

Annie thrust her legs and hips up at him, trying to throw him off of her, but it only seemed to make him more eager. He moaned; his lips beside her ear and for a moment, she thought that her efforts had worked. Dutch went flying across the sand, landing on his back. Annie glanced up to see Finnick standing over her. He met her gaze, and then his eyes ran over her body, a fire starting in them as he saw what Dutch had done.

Without a word, Finnick turned away from Annie and made his way to Dutch, who was trying to get to his feet. Annie knew exactly what Finnick was going to do, but she found no desire or reason to stop it. Finnick tossed him back into the sand, and then hovered above him as he laid punch after punch to the head peacekeeper's face. Dutch tried to fight back, but Finnick had the strength and the rage.

When Dutch stopped moving, Annie scrambled to her feet and touched Finnick's arm, raised to deliver another blow. He met her eyes, and she was surprised to see the tears streaming down his face. Annie wound her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer. Finnick hugged her back, his hands covered in Dutch's blood and his own.

Annie pulled away, made sure Dutch was breathing, and then took Finnick's hand and led him home. When they got to the cottage, she took a wet washcloth and cleaned his knuckles. He watched her for a long moment before speaking, "How is it that you are taking care of me right now?" his voice was low, and still a little dark.

Annie met his eyes, "I'd argue that you took care of me, too." Finnick closed his eyes, "Are you okay?" Annie nodded, focusing on his wounds instead of thinking of her own.

Finnick did the opposite; he ignored his hands and focused on her injuries. They looked worse in the light. She had bruises in the shape of Dutch's hands all over her arms. She wore scars from his fingernails on every visible surface of her skin. Finnick's eyes narrowed when they fell on her neck and shoulders. Oh god, were those…_teeth marks_?

Finnick jumped to his feet and Annie dropped the towel. "I should have killed him." he seethed. Annie sighed, knowing that Finnick wasn't bluffing. She had to talk him out of murder. "Finnick. You could go back there; he's probably in the same spot. You could finish what you started." His eyes darkened as he considered it. "Or," she continued, "You could stay with me. You can take care of me and I can take care of you. We've been through worse Finnick; please don't throw it all away for revenge. Don't leave me here alone again, just stay with me." Her eyes filled with tears again. Finnick sighed, finally feeling tired after such a long night.

"I'll stay," he whispered, taking her face in his hands, "of course I'll stay."


	33. My Fault by Imagine Dragons

33. My Fault

Annie stood in front of the mirror in her bedroom. When she wore only her underwear, she could see bruises lining all over. Her leg appeared to have one that looked like it came from his knee. His hand prints were on her arms and stomach. She took a deep breath, telling herself that the bruises would fade and she wouldn't be stuck hiding in the cottage forever. She took a step closer to examine her wounds more closely.

Annie didn't even want to admit it to herself, but the way she looked kind of depressed her. And that was nothing compared to the way she felt when she closed her eyes and saw nothing but Dutch's cool stare. Finnick's reflection caught her eye as he stood in the doorway. He kept his eyes trained on hers, trying not to look at her bruises. She met his stare evenly, and her eyes told him more than he wanted to know. She looked scared, her eyes were wide, and she seemed broken down to him. He sighed, walking up behind her and running his fingers over her shoulder before kissing it. "I thought you'd be longer." She said. Finnick moved her hair away from her face, "He's not there anymore, and no one in town seems to be concerned about him. He's probably just hiding out in his house."  
Annie took another deep breath. Her stress had more to do with Finnick than it did herself. He'd beaten Dutch Everlong. He'd nearly killed the head peacekeeper. In a district where you got whipped for staying out past curfew, Annie knew that Finnick wouldn't be let off the hook.

"What will they do to you?" she asked, her voice rising as her panic surfaced. Finnick turned her around to face him and looked into her eyes, "I don't want you worrying about me, okay?"

Annie chuckled, "like it's that simple." Finnick nodded, "It is. I'll be fine; just don't think about it. You shouldn't even be out of bed. Go lie down and let me make you some tea. Are you hungry? Do you want a book?"

Annie's eyes rolled, "I don't need rest. I don't need tea. I don't need food. I don't need to read. I just need you to be honest with me." Finnick sighed; she knew that honesty was the key word to get what she wanted. Ever since he'd lied about his profession in the Capitol, Finnick had done his best to tell her the truth. Always. He met her eyes, "they won't hurt me. I can promise you that." His voice was tight and Annie wasn't stupid.

"You think Dutch will go after me again, just to spite you?" Finnick looked at her, wondering how someone could be so innocent. "Annie, it wouldn't be for revenge." Annie shivered, knowing that he was right. Annie crossing paths with Dutch again was inevitable. She just hoped that running into him would always be in public places with a lot of people.

"Look," Finnick started, "I know I promised you I'd always be honest with you, but don't you hate hearing these things just as much as I hate saying them? I don't want you worrying about me, Annie. I don't want those thoughts on your mind."

"They'll always be there, Finnick, just like you always worry for me. It's just the way we live." Finnick didn't answer, she was dead on. Luckily for him, the conversation seemed over. He didn't want to have to tell her that his thoughts and concern had already gone beyond Dutch. Finnick wondered what would happen if Dutch took this to Snow. The president wouldn't jeopardize his star athlete, so to speak. But Snow wouldn't have a problem killing his family or Annie. In this situation, Finnick guessed that it was Annie he had to worry about. She was the reason Finnick had beaten Dutch in the first place.

Annie's hands were on his face as her eyes studied his, "what is it?" she whispered, "What are you worrying about?" Finnick glanced up to meet her eyes and his face cleared. "Nothing," he answered automatically. Sometimes honesty wasn't the best policy. "I was just wondering where Dutch was, that's all."

* * *

Days went by, and Finnick hadn't seen a glimpse of Dutch. Nor had he been summoned to the Capitol to be punished. The silence made him both anxious and relaxed. Anxious for the obvious reasons; Dutch could knock down his door at any moment and take him, or worse Annie.

But he felt peaceful at the same time because of her. It felt good to lie with her in his arms night after night. He was happy to wake up next to her in the morning, to make her breakfast, to swim with her, kiss her bruises until that tortured look left her eyes. The two of them had barely left the cottage since Dutch's party. Finnick didn't leave because she wouldn't, and she wouldn't because she didn't want to explain her scars. She talked with her parents on the phone, but he knew that they were getting nervous for not seeing her. But he was stuck because he knew they couldn't. Annie's bruises were yellowing, but her scars were still prevalent.

Finnick took another sip of his tea, watching the waves crash into the shoreline as the sun set. He sighed, wishing all of his nights could be this beautiful and calm. No one was on the beach, and he could hear Annie humming along to the song she was playing from the kitchen.

"What do you feel like?" she called. Finnick looked through the window and smiled as he caught her dancing around, searching through the cabinets. "Why don't I pick something up?" he called back, "I'll go down to the square and see what the vendors have."

She didn't know he was watching her, and she flipped her hair to the beat, "yeah, that sounds great!" she answered, engrossed in her awful dance moves. He was glad to see her enjoying herself, so he decided not to taunt. When she pulled out an air guitar, he couldn't help but laugh out loud. Annie spun around, realizing that he was watching. Her eyes darted to the doorway first, and then fell on the window, where Finnick sat in his chair, a hand over his mouth to smother his laughter.

"Finnick!" she skipped to the window and slapped at his arm. He moved his chair out of her reach and took another sip of tea. "Didn't you say you were going to find something to feed me?"

He was still laughing as she came through the door and onto the porch. "I wanted to see the show first." Her face reddened, "Girlfriend. Hungry. Go. Food. Now." she said through tight lips. "Aw, come on baby, don't be like that. You're an incredible dancer. I really liked that bit you did with your hair." Finnick knew that Annie could dance, he'd experienced that first hand at a grimy club in the Capitol, but he was having fun teasing her.

She crossed her arms, glaring at him. "Alright," he said, raising his hands in surrender, "I'll go get the food, you work on your dance moves." Her eyes narrowed further, making him chuckle. He set his mug on the arm of his chair and pulled his jacket on. "I love you Annie Cresta and I'll be right back."

Her eyes softened, "Wait," she said. He turned around, already halfway down the steps, "I need to go find my very angry, very beautiful girlfriend some food before she bites my head off."

She shuffled her feet, glancing down at them. Finnick took the couple steps back to the porch and waited for her to speak. When she did, she kept her eyes and voice low, "could I come?" He hesitated, not sure why she was acting this way. "Of course you can. I just thought you'd want to stay home."

"I've done enough staying home." Annie said, turning on her heels and marching into their bedroom. She threw on a brown leather jacket that covered her arms and a scarf that hid her neck. "Maybe we could stop by and see my parents." She shrugged as she looked in the mirror. Finnick just nodded as she breezed past him.

As they walked along the water's edge, Finnick looked at her, "Why were you so weird about asking me to come? Did you think I'd say no? I mean, you do know that you don't have to ask in the first place, right?"

"I know, I just, I wasn't sure if you'd think it was a good idea. My injuries are still pretty patent, plus we don't know where Dutch is."

"Annie, your injuries are yours. If you don't care that people see them, I don't either. If you want to find a way to bring Dutch down, I'll be on board for that, too. You don't need to ask me if you can leave. I worry about you, I'm protective of you; and justly so. But you can do whatever you think is right. And I'll always be behind you on it. I wouldn't doubt you, Annie."

The trust that he was displaying for her made Annie feel secure as well as frantic. She wasn't sure if she trusted herself that much. But she trusted him. Annie slipped her hand out of his as they approached the square. Most of the District knew that he was hers, but peacekeepers were always roaming the town, and they were a different story.

They walked beside each other as they skimmed the carts and windows. Everything looked good to her. She was so hungry. "You pick," she said, "Everything looks appetizing to me." He chuckled, "let's just get something quick so we can get to your parents' before dark." Annie nodded, following him into a restaurant and off the busy street.

Her eyes immediately adjusted to her surroundings, as well as the man sitting at a table alone. Dutch glanced up and met Annie's eyes, placing his beer on the table. She could barely see that eerie stare of his through his matching black eyes. "Let's eat somewhere else," she said quickly, pulling at Finnick's arm. By the tension she felt in his forearm, she didn't have to look at his face to know that Finnick had seen Dutch already. "I think that'd be best."

Annie didn't have time to eat, because as Finnick stormed out of the restaurant, he didn't stop until his feet hit the sand. Even then, he paced back and forth, his hands on his hips. "Finnick, it's alright."

"No, it's not."

"Everything is going to be fine, okay? Let's just go to my parents' house. We'll find something there or eat after. We don't have to go back to the square." Finnick chuckled, as if that was what he was upset about. "I don't care where we eat, Annie."

"I know." She answered, "But you need to calm down. He's the head peacekeeper, Finnick. He's going to be everywhere."

"That's the problem!" Finnick's arms flew in the air as he spoke before resting back on his hips. "He'll always be around, but I won't. I'll be gone, Annie. I won't be here to save you all the time." He restrained himself from adding that Dutch would probably be waiting for the day Finnick got that call…

Finnick sat through a night with Iver and Holland. He usually enjoyed their company, but he had too much on his mind. They seemed to pick up on that early, and gave him time to think while they caught up with their daughter. Their daughter who insisted on leaving her coat and scarf on.

Around ten, Annie was ready to go. They walked home in silence, but Annie held his hand tightly, worry lining her face. She could tell that he was thinking about something seriously. Whatever he was contemplating, she was dying to know. But she didn't want to push him, so instead she stayed quiet and waited until he was ready to share it with her. She was glad that her parents were so accepting of his mood. They'd laughed and brushed it off when he failed to answer their questions, lost in his thoughts.

As she walked through the door, she sighed, bee lining for the kitchen and putting some tea on. Finnick took his seat on the porch where he'd been before they'd left. He had so many thoughts going through his mind that he should have considered before. He wanted to kick himself for not realizing it sooner.

Annie stepped into the darkness of the porch with two cups in her hands. He sat leaning forward in his chair, his hands ringing together. Annie sighed, placing his mug next to him and turning back to the house. To her surprise, Finnick grabbed her hand quickly and spun her around. He pulled her towards him until she was between his legs, and then he pulled her onto his lap. Annie didn't mind this. She liked the feel of his arms around her just as much as she did the first time he'd put them there. She liked the sound of the waves and the beat of his heart against her. Yet, she still couldn't help but break the silence. "What have you been brooding about?" she whispered.

Finnick sighed, "I wasn't brooding. I realized something."

"Which was?" she prompted when he didn't continue. He met her eyes, "All this time, my relationship with you contradicting my work in the Capitol, my friendship with Johanna that Snow clearly doesn't like. He must know about what I did to Dutch by now. I've undoubtedly caused the President some trouble. I've been a nuisance for not following his strict guidelines. I always wondered, or hoped, that it was just because he was oblivious. But it isn't that. Snow knows that I'm friends with Johanna. He knows that we talk when we're both in the Capitol. And nothing makes that man more uneasy than two people from different districts talking, especially victors. But on top of that, he has to know I'm in love with you."

Annie searched his eyes, "So?" she asked, still confused, "Are you asking me why he hasn't killed us all?"

Finnick's eyes sparked, "well, that's what I was asking myself. But thinking about Dutch made me realize something important." He hesitated, not sure how to word it.

Annie raised an impatient eyebrow, "What are you saying?"

"I have power."

* * *

yay! chapter 33! I hope you guys like it:) thank you for all the nice reviews on _Curve of the Earth_. You're all so sweet and you just make me want to never stop writing this story. well, that also has to do with my love for these characters...but anyway, I hope you enjoy _My Fault_! and always review;)


	34. Anywhere But Here (violin) by Safetysuit

A/N: Don't hate me forever, because i love you! haven't you ever gotten an idea in your head, and you knew it wouldn't be fun to write, but you just felt like you had to do it or your story would never be as good as it could have been?...well, this is just the start of that idea, so don't freak at me just yet. here's _Anywhere But Here_. :) i'm going to try to post the next couple chapters fairly quickly, but no promises! i shall do my best!

* * *

34. Anywhere But Here

Annie ran the bar of soap she held over her leg as she laid in the bathtub. Her bruises and scars were still visible, and she could never stop staring at them. She never thought of herself as pretty, but she'd never felt more ugly than she did now. Scars and bruises covered her skin from Dutch. Annie knew that it wasn't only her body that the man had hurt. Her mind wasn't safe anymore either, she often woke up in the middle of the night, barely able to breathe after reliving the awful incident with the head peacekeeper.

Sometimes, when Finnick was gone, Annie went into these trances that she couldn't explain. It was like she could see it all again, every detail and sound that she heard that night. The fact that Dutch almost raped her still didn't compare to her Games, but Annie was frightened nonetheless. Every man she saw who resembled him in the slightest got her heart racing. Any time she saw a white Peacekeeper uniform her breathing got frantic. She hated him for what he did to her, but she also hated herself for how she was letting it affect her.

Annie turned the water off with her toe as it approached the rim. She pulled the plug to drain some of it, noticing the ache she felt in her lower back with the movement. Frowning, Annie stood up, looking at herself in the mirror and turning her body so she could see her tailbone. Annie's mouth hardened, realizing that she had a bruise she hadn't realized was there. And now she was envisioning how it got there, just like the other forty she had already imagined.

Grumbling, she slid down back into the water. There was no way Finnick hadn't noticed the giant purple bruise on her back. He was the part that was killing her the most. He acted like nothing was wrong, like she wasn't hideously covered in a variety of colorful bruises. Like her, he sometimes forgot that they were there until he noticed them. And when he did remember, he only had two reactions. Finnick would either kiss them, or clear his throat and start talking about something else. It depended on his mood as well as hers.

She heard a light knock on the bathroom door. Speak of the devil. "Come in." she said. Finnick opened the door and looked down at her. One leg was draped over the edge and her arms were out, analyzing the bruises there.

Finnick cleared his throat, making Annie roll her eyes. "I just got off the phone with Snow. He wants me to come to the Capitol tomorrow morning." Annie felt sad before he'd even finished speaking. "How long this time?" She asked. Finnick shrugged, "A week, maybe a few days more."

"And what's on the agenda? Or should I say… _who_?" she raised an eyebrow at him. Finnick hesitated with the doorknob in his hand, she'd never asked about that, and he'd never offered to share. "I don't know. I don't ask." He said vigilantly. The question Annie asked had come out of her mouth without her really wanting it to, but his answer was satisfactory enough.

"Do I know any of them?" she hadn't planned that to come out either, and she held her breath as his eyebrows came together. "No. Why would you?" Had she been asking him if he was sleeping with Johanna? Annie wasn't sure what she was trying to ask. "I don't know." She answered, her own eyebrows pushing together.

"Why are you asking these questions? I know you don't want the answers anymore than I want to tell you."

"Were you lying to me then?" she glanced at him. He shook his head, "No."

"Finnick, you always do this, you assume that you know exactly what I want without even asking me. Just because you don't want to say it doesn't mean that I don't need to hear it." He was silent for a moment, "so," he started, confused and taken off guard, "you want to know about what I've done…what I do."

Annie bit her lip, she didn't think she did. But it was one of her life's mysteries. "When you're gone, I can't help but think about it_. Who is he with? Is she beautiful?_ I see it, you know? I picture it, and it's the last image I want in my head."

"I don't know what to say," he mumbled and she laughed. "That's a first." He smiled slightly, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Annie, I can tell you everything you want to know. I can answer any questions that you have. If you want to have this discussion, we can. I'll do my best to tell you anything and everything you need to hear."

"I'm not sure I want to know just yet." She replied. Finnick came in, pulled up a stool next to her tub and sat down. "Think about it. And I will too. Then we'll talk about it." Annie knew that his words were meant to comfort her, but she wasn't sure she wanted that, either.

"I'm tired of thinking," she looked up to meet his eyes, "and I'm tired of talking," she said quietly. Finnick felt the change in the room as her words settled. She wasn't crazy; it was her last night with him for a week. Annie wanted to leave him a good memory to think about.

He leaned forward and kissed the bruises on her wrist and arm. Annie had always felt the sweetness in his kisses when he did this. But at that moment all she felt was a flash of passion and a heat rising to her neck. She took his face in her hands and lifted it so she could see his eyes. "Come in here." She smirked. Finnick remembered when they'd done this once before, right after she'd almost drowned herself and they'd had a huge fight. He was positive that this time was going to top that, and the smile on his face mirrored her own.

He'd just stood up and started to unbutton his shirt when he felt a jerk on his hand and he was suddenly in a tub full of water on top of a beautifully naked woman. Her laughter was almost sexier than her nudity. "You got water all over the floor," she chuckled, lifting her hips beneath him and looking over the tub. "Your fault." He teased, running his lips over hers.

* * *

"You wanted to see me." Finnick hadn't spoken to Snow in person for quite a while, only heard his voice over the phone. He had secrets over the President, a long list of secrets that would surely have him killed. Whether he had power or not, the things he knew about Snow would put him in a grave. The president had killed so many people that Finnick couldn't remember all their names.

Snow came close and shook his hand, "Thank you for coming, Mr. Odair." Finnick smelled the blood as soon as he was near, and it made his stomach turn to wonder whose blood was on the psychopath's breath.

"I've been getting complaints that you're not performing to your best abilities. Now, I'm really hoping that that changes rather quickly, because I hate having unhappy customers. It tends to make me agitated, and when I'm agitated I'm inclined to do impulsive things."

"Is that a threat, Mr. President?"

He smiled, "No, just a fact." Snow sat down behind his desk and offered with his hand for Finnick to take a seat. Finnick ignored him, pacing back and forth, "I'll do the best I can from now on sir, but I'm not sure how well I can perform with a threat hanging over my head. When I feel threatened, I tend to get tense, and when I'm tense, I'm inclined to lash out." Snow smirked at him, "are you threatening me, Finnick?"

"Just stating a fact." Finnick knew he had power, but the rage he felt was reckless, and he told himself he needed to take it down a notch before he got somebody killed. "What are you getting at?" Snow asked, leaning forward on his desk. Finnick looked him in the eye, "I'm not afraid of you." So much for not provoking the bear…He'd done more lying in his life than anyone, and the sentence even sounded convincing to his own ears. But it wasn't true. Everything about Snow scared Finnick; the blood, the deaths, the fact that he could literally get away with murder. Snow could easily get away with killing one of his loved ones. So yes, Finnick had power in the Capitol, but he was still afraid of Snow.

Snow raised an eyebrow, "Is that so?" The President stood up and rounded his desk, "You know, Finnick, you were one of my favorites. I thought we were pretty good friends. But let's get one thing straight. You may not be afraid of me, but there are plenty of people in your life that will be." Finnick saw the rage flash in his eyes, "If you cross me," he continued harshly, ominously, "I will kill every person that you have ever known. I can make it so that your entire life is in this Capitol. I'll leave you nothing." Finnick swallowed, taking a step away from him. He knew that Snow wasn't bluffing. Yet, he still couldn't back down. If he backed down, they'd be dead by the morning. Show no weakness. "If you leave me nothing to care about, why would I ever come back here? You'd take away my incentive to work for you; I'd have no reason to do any of this."

Finnick could tell that Snow's nerves were getting twisted. He doubted a Victor had ever thought that far ahead. Normal people did what they were told when the man making the commands threatened to kill everyone they love. But Finnick had thought this through. He'd dealt with his restless nights wondering what would happen if they were all dead.

The rage was back in Snow's eye, but this time, no words were spoken. Instead, Finnick felt a sharp blow to his ribcage. He met the President's eyes first, and then he looked down to see the knife that protruded from his abdomen. He met Snow's evil eye once more as he began to see black spots. The final straw was the twist of the knife, and then the black spots became complete darkness.


	35. Bleeding Out by Imagine Dragons

35. Bleeding Out

Annie burst through the doors and ran past the colored people and up the stairs. She didn't stop until the fourth floor, and she felt winded when she reached it. She took deep breaths as she approached a man in a white lab coat whose body was covered in blue tattoos. "I'm looking for Finnick Odair," she said, her voice barely audible. She could feel her hands shaking. She'd had a whole train ride to picture Finnick lying in a hospital bed.

"He's in room sixteen." The man said, not even looking at her. He caught the attention of a young nurse and started to walk away; disregarding Annie as she tried to ask him what was going on. All she knew was that Finnick was here. Mags had come knocking on her door in the middle of the night and told her she needed to go.

Annie half ran to his room. When she saw him through the window, he was unconscious. He had a tube in his mouth and he looked pale. Her breath caught in her throat and she walked into the room. Annie knelt beside his bed and took his hand. He felt cold. She glanced up and down his body, but nothing appeared to be broken; he didn't even have a scratch. Was he sick? She looked around the room again and out into the hallway. Seeing that no one was going to come in and tell her what the hell was going on, Annie slowly and gently ran her fingers over Finnick's shoulders. She brought her hands over his chest and when she reached his ribcage, she felt a bandage.

"What happened to you?" she whispered, looking up at his face. She removed her hands instantly, not wanting to make anything worse. She hadn't noticed his heart monitor at first, but she could hear it now. It beeped with his heart's beating. She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down before she went out to talk to the doctors. If she wanted any answers, she knew she'd have to be collected.

She wished that someone was here with her. But she'd left in such a hurry that all she had were the clothes on her back. Mags was probably asleep on the couch, and she was sure that her parents would have plenty of questions for the poor old lady in the morning. But she trusted Mags to explain.

Annie walked into the hallway and approached the blue tattooed doctor; who was now leaning over the counter at the nurses' station. "Excuse me," she said. The man held up a finger to her, and not a polite one. Annie didn't know what came over her; maybe it was her lack of sleep, or her worry for Finnick, or the audacity of this mutant. Before she knew what she was doing, she had his middle finger in her hand, and she was bending it backward. It got his attention. He was a scrawny man, and he couldn't break her hold on him. "Ow!" He hollered. Annie smirked at the nurse, who was trying not to laugh at the doctor.

"Tell me what happened to Finnick Odair before I break your finger." She threatened. He made eye contact, and she saw fear. The guy had probably never broken a bone in his body. These idiots didn't know a damn thing about pain. Maybe she should teach him a lesson on the subject. She bent his finger back a little more, "Now." she prompted, raising an eyebrow at him.

When the doctor spoke, his voice was pained, "He came in a few hours ago with a knife wound. Someone just dropped him off outside the emergency room. We have no way of knowing what happened. We stabilized him, but he's having some trouble breathing on his own. It didn't take one of our nurses very long to identify him as Finnick Odair. Once we realized who he was, we gave him some of our fastest and most powerful drugs. He has two broken ribs, but he should wake up anytime, and he'll need a few weeks to recover, but he'll be fine."

She let go of his hand, "Thank you, doctor." She smiled sweetly. The man gave her an incredulous look before sauntering off. Annie looked back at the nurse; surprised that she hadn't noticed how ordinary looking she was. Besides a few obvious plastic surgery encounters, she was normal. Annie should have gone to her for answers. The nurse smiled, revealing bright white teeth, "you're Annie Cresta." Annie nodded. "Well, as Dr. Meeker said, Finnick will be fine. You should probably get in there, I'm sure he'll be a little disoriented when he wakes up." Annie nodded again and hurried back into his room.

* * *

The first thing Finnick saw when he woke up was white fluorescent lights. He could hear a steady beeping and someone breathing close to him. He could feel a cold hand in his, and he glanced at Annie, who was resting her forehead on their locked fingers. "Hey, fish." His voice was raspy, and Annie's head snapped up at the sound. Her eyes met his instantly and just as quickly she was over him, her mouth covering his.

"God, you scared me to death." She mumbled against his lips, kissing him so hard that he couldn't respond. He placed a hand on her face and enjoyed the moment, because the pain in his abdomen was bringing back the memory of what happened with the President. When she stopped kissing him, she moved her lips to his cheek. He ran his fingers over her hair as he stared at the bright lights on the ceiling. Had that really happened? Finnick could feel the effects of whatever medication he was on. Maybe it was in his head. But the pain he felt on his ribcage begged to differ.

"What happened?" Annie asked quietly, taking his hand again. Finnick looked down at himself, "Snow." He said, hatred creeping into his voice. Annie's hand tightened, "he…did that? Why?"

"Because I was challenging him. I made him angry and I was stupid. I'm just glad this was his retaliation and not something worse." Annie looked him over for the millionth time, wanting to argue that statement but knowing it wasn't the time. He looked awful. He looked like he was in pain. "So, he stabbed you, and then what?"

"I don't know," Finnick answered, "I passed out. That's the last thing I remember."

"The doctor said that someone just dropped you off here, like this. I doubt they know that Snow did it." Finnick looked away from her and back to the ceiling, "So he wasn't trying to kill me." he mumbled. Annie felt a chill go through her, "maybe not, but you've got a pretty severe knife wound, Finnick. He broke two of your ribs."

"He was trying to teach me a lesson." Finnick continued to himself. Annie felt fear creeping into her, "please tell me that you've learned it. Don't do something like this again. Stop challenging him, Finnick. The President isn't someone you want to go head to head with."

"I know that. But what am I supposed to do? If he thinks he's won, then I'll never have any freedom. He'll take everything from me; everyone." He met her eyes again, and she saw the fear in them that she was feeling.

"Look," her voice was shaky, "just do what he tells you. Be good, and we'll find our revenge someday. But all of this," she motioned around the room, "it's not worth a fight for power with the President."

Finnick sighed, "Let's just not talk about that right now." he slid over on the bed and opened his arm for her. Even despite two broken ribs and a knife wound, he still managed to comfort her. Annie climbed into the bed and rested her head on his shoulder; careful not to touch his wound. Finally laying her head down made her feel all the fatigue she'd been too anxious to acknowledge. "I'm so happy you're okay," she whispered before shutting her eyes. Finnick closed his as well, a new dose of medication entering his system.

* * *

The phone ringing managed to wake Finnick up. With Annie still curled up to him, he thought that he was at home. He kept his eyes closed as he picked up the phone. "Hello," he answered sleepily.

"Finnick!" an animated voice greeted him, "good morning, son. It's good to hear from you." Finnick had to blink a few times before he could make sense of the voice and the words. "I heard about what happened to you; such a pity. It really is tragic, but I suppose it's a double edged sword." Snow laughed at his own joke, "See, I've been thinking, and I think we can come to a fair deal."

Finnick shook his head, trying to decide if Snow was delusional or putting on a show because he was paranoid that someone might be listening to this call. "What's that, Mr. President?" Finnick prompted.

"Well, since you're hurt, I think it'll be best if you go home for a while. You need some good rest time to get better, not to mention the poor Capitolites won't want to see a nasty knife wound," he made a sound of disgust, "so, I'll give you three weeks, Finnick. Stay home, heal, and I'll be calling you soon."

Finnick had a string of insults, secrets, and threats running through his head. "Okay, thank you sir, I'll see you then."

"Give my best to Annie." Snow said. Finnick glanced down at her, still asleep on his shoulder. His muscles tightened and he gripped the phone a little too tightly. But Snow hung up before Finnick could put any of his threats into words.

After that phone call, Finnick couldn't fall back asleep. A glance at the clock told him that it was about six in the morning. Annie needed her sleep, and Finnick was afraid he'd wake her up if he tried to stand. So he amused himself by playing with her hair and running through his conversation with Snow again. Three weeks. He had three weeks to be home, to be with his family, with Annie. It sounded perfect, of course. But nothing was ever perfect; especially if it came from the President. Finnick was sure he'd have some kind of nightmare to deal with when he returned to the Capitol in three weeks. Snow would probably make him stay there for double the time he had off; or give him extra assignments. Either way, it'd be hell. But he needed to be home, so he tried not to think about the Capitol or Snow.

About an hour after his talk with the President, Annie started to stir. He heard her sigh and stretch, running her hand up his chest…and his ribs. He bit his lip, holding back the scream because he didn't want to startle her. He hadn't gotten a dose of his medication since the night before, and her hand on his wound made it clear that they had worn off. She sighed again, and he looked down to see her frowning. He took deep breaths and waited for her to wake up. As her eyes opened, her hand was still pushing against his ribs. She frowned at her hand, then up at him, and as their eyes met, he watched as it all came flooding back. For someone who had barely just woken up, she moved so fast. Her hand was off of him in a heartbeat and she was across the room just as quickly. He took another breath to steady his voice, "It's okay," he said, pushing the call button. Annie jumped back towards him, "I'm so sorry. Are you okay? I didn't mean to touch it." He forced a laugh, "Of course you didn't! And I'm fine. I'm just going to see if they can give me some more of those drugs."

She glanced out his window into the wing. From her view, she could see the call button blinking on the nurses' station. And she could also see all of the doctors and nurses as they ate and laughed. It was like a party out there. She glanced at Finnick again. He was staring at the ceiling and breathing heavily as his hand clutched the remote and pushed the button repeatedly.

Annie felt a fire in her throat and face. She pushed open his door and marched to the nurses' station, slamming her fist on the counter. Two of the nurses saw her, looked her up and down, rolled their eyes, and continued to talk. Annie felt the fire grow hotter. She grabbed a binder from the desk and threw it against the wall, letting out an enraged scream as she did so. Not only did that get every nurse and every doctor's attention, but she could see a few of the patients looking at her.

"Great. Are you ready to do your damn jobs now?" she focused her attention on the closest nurse. The poor woman must have seen murder in Annie's eyes because she dropped her plate right onto the floor and nodded. "My friend needs some more medication. I assume that your little brain can handle that." Never in her life had Annie spoken to anyone like this, and she was willing to bet that she'd get away with it too. If there were one place where a party was inappropriate, this would be it. The nurse nodded, staring at her feet before hurrying off to Finnick's room.

She looked at the rest of them, "You should probably try paying attention to that," she pointed to the red buttons for patients' calls, "so that we don't have this problem again." She turned and went back into Finnick's room, noticing that the nurse tensed as she walked through the door. Annie glared at her, taking her seat next to Finnick's bed. He had gone a whole shade paler, and his eyes looked a little glazed over. "Does he look okay to you?" she asked the nurse, touching his forehead. "No, but the medication should make him feel better soon." Annie made eye contact with the nurse, "We better hope so." Her voice was low and threatening, and the nurse left the room without a response.

The Capitol people had always confused Annie. They loved the brutality of the Games. They loved violence. They loved a killer. They praised Victors, worshiped them. But they were also afraid. Even Annie Cresta; the crazy, scared girl from District Four who never should have won frightened them. They were seduced by the glamour and fame that Victors have, but when they got glimpses of the hatred and brokenness behind the façade, they wanted to run as far away as they could. And Annie found that she couldn't blame them. Sometimes she wished she could run away from herself too.

Annie waited, holding Finnick's hand until he woke up again. While he slept, the same nurse came in twice to check his bandages; she even changed them the second time. When Finnick started to come back, Annie leaned forward and waited for him to adjust. "Hey, fish." He greeted her with a smile, just like the first time he'd woken up to her eager eyes. "Hi," she breathed, "I was worried about you for a while there. How do you feel?"

"I feel good," he answered, "I can barely even feel that knife wound. You look beautiful by the way." He brushed her hair away from her face, and Annie could tell that he was a little bit under the influence. She laughed as he squished her cheek. "Thank you, darling. You look beautiful today too." His eyebrows furrowed, "No, not just today. You are beautiful always." Annie wanted to laugh again, but it seemed that it would only upset him further. "Well thank you. That's always nice to hear." He accepted this response, and although his eyes were tired, he took her hand, "I'm glad you're here." He said, his eyelids becoming too heavy. She smiled, "Of course I'm here. Here is the most important place I can be."

When he woke up again, he was a little bit more alert. "Does it hurt?" she asked as he poked at his injury. He shrugged, "A little bit. I don't want any more of that medicine though. Not yet, at least. I'd like to feel like myself for a while." She smirked and he matched it. "You really are beautiful, I meant that." She laughed, "I didn't think you'd remember." He lay back again, pulling her onto the bed with him.

Finnick eased her on top of him, feeling a sudden hunger for her; it felt like years since he'd felt her hair, her skin, her lips. He kissed her quickly, before she had time to react to his jerky movements. "Finnick!" She hovered over him, "People with broken ribs shouldn't be making out in hospital beds with a girl on top of them." He thought for a moment, "Should I be on top then?" he smirked. "No," she answered quickly, "you should be healing."

He smiled, "But you are my healing." He lifted his head to meet her lips again, and this time she didn't protest. She still held herself carefully over his wound, but she let him kiss her, and the longer it lasted, the faster Finnick's monitor beeped. Annie laughed against his lips, finding it funny that his monitor seemed to be beating to the same rhythm as her heart.

Annie wondered how fast the monitor could go, with Finnick's lips hot against hers and his hands roaming over her back. His injury never left her mind though, and her movement was very careful as she gently ground her hips against his. She heard him sigh and his heart monitor picked up at the same time.

It was a selfish thought; one that Finnick would be upset if he knew it was on her mind; but Annie was glad that out of all the women who chased Finnick, she was the one who could make his heart beat fast.

Finnick made a frustrated grumbling sound, and then he abruptly stopped kissing her. He reached to his wrist, and before Annie realized what he was doing, he had pulled out his heart monitor. He went to take her face in his hands again but she dodged his grip. She sighed, "Finnick, you can't do that." He groaned, "Why not?" Annie stood up, picking his monitor up, she pressed the call button on his bed. As they waited, Annie realized that she was glad she'd decided to close the curtains.

The nurse was in the room in less than a minute, "What can I help you with?" she asked. It wasn't the same nurse as this morning, but she'd obviously gotten the message. "Finnick got a little frustrated and pulled his heart monitor out, could you put it back in for him?" The nurse nodded and smiled, rounding the bed and readjusting his monitor. "Okay, he should be good to go." Right as she finished speaking, the beating filled the room again. His heart had slowed.

Annie gave her a genuine smile, "thank you," she said. The nurse smiled back and closed the door.

Finnick sighed, "Should we try again?" Annie lay down beside him, "not if you're going to keep ripping your heart monitor out." He laughed, "You know, I've got three weeks off, so we'll have plenty of time…without any annoying machines."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, turning her head to look at him. "The President gave me three weeks to heal." Annie was silent for a long moment, "I'm happy that you'll be home, I'm happy that I'll get to take care of you, but let's not talk about Snow right now, we've wasted enough time on him."

* * *

_Alright, I'm sorry this one is late! the good news is that I am officially done high school, so i'll probably be uploading chapters a lot faster! Thank you for reading my story and leaving me nice reviews. I'm hoping to become a better writer in college, and you guys give me such confidence! I didn't plan on writing 35+ chapters when I started this, but I can't bring myself to stop. I'm just not ready! As I said, I'll have a lot more time to write, and I was thinking I might start another story, so let me know what you want me to write about. I have a talent for watching entire series or reading entire books in short amounts of time...so give me some suggestions!_


	36. Let It Be Me by Ray Lamontagne

36. Let It Be Me

It was that time of year again. The time that everyone hated, dreaded. Finnick glanced at Annie across the bed, "are you sure you want to do this?"

"I have to." she replied instantly, for the millionth time. It'd been months since Finnick was stabbed by the President, but Annie couldn't sit at home while he was in the Capitol for the next two months. She'd go crazy with worry. She needed to be there; with him. "No you don't." he retorted…for the millionth time. Annie sighed, placing a hand on his face, "we're not having this argument anymore, it's too late, and I'm going."

Finnick pursed his lips, "Do you remember what a struggle your Victory Tour was for you?" Annie's eyes narrowed at his nonchalance. Annie had tried to kill herself the night before she set out on her Tour, and he'd just referred to it as a 'struggle.'

"Yes," she said hesitantly.

"Okay. Imagine that feeling. Times ten. It sucks, Annie. Tributes volunteer for the Games when they're young and stupid. Victors don't volunteer to relive it."

Annie considered this, and Finnick took her silence to make another point, "It won't be the same," he continued, "We won't be able to be _us_ when we're there. You've seen the…the character I have to play when I'm there."

"I don't care." She stared into his eyes to drive her point, "None of it matters, Finnick. I need to be where you are."

His eyes saddened, "I'm not exaggerating, Annie. Being a mentor is like reliving the Games all over again. That makes me nervous. I don't want you to have to do that."

"And I don't want you to." He sighed; this is the part of the argument that they've already been through more times than he could count.

Annie was being stubborn, and nothing he said was convincing her to stay home. He was mentoring the 74th Hunger Games, and she refused to let him do it without her.

"Let's just get ready." He turned away and started to get out of bed. She grabbed his arm, "You're mad at me?" Finnick shrugged his arm away, not answering as he opened the closet and looked through his shirts. "That's ridiculous, Finnick. There's not a day that goes by where you don't fight for me, and I have to accept it. So why is it so hard for you to believe that I'd do the same?"

"I believe that Annie, but I can't accept it." He turned to her now, "You know exactly how I feel about you, and I'll be damned if anything happens to you."

"I'm not going to die, Finnick. I won't even be in the arena." Finnick's jaw clenched, "I was there, Annie. I saw the way the Hunger Games affect you. It's scary. You scared me."

She stood up and made her way towards him. Wrapping both of her arms around him, Annie waited until he met her gaze. "I will be fine." she whispered. "I'll have you."

He pushed away from her, pulling at his hair, "That's my point, Annie! You won't! This is what I've been trying to tell you! The only time we'll be spending together will be in that operation room. Any time that we're not in there, I'll be somewhere else."

"It doesn't matter! I'm going, Finnick. I'm going." He turned away again, "I don't want you there, Annie. And part of me knows that it has nothing to do with your safety. I don't want you to see this part of my life. I just don't want you there."

"I'm going." She whispered.

* * *

The train ride to the Capitol was no less nerve racking than it had been the first time. Finnick was already right about one thing, she was afraid. Both of her tributes were sixteen years old. They went to school together. They were in the same class. Maybe they even had some of the same friends. And now both of their lives were on the line. And Annie played a huge part in bringing them home. She wanted to bring them home. She needed to. But she could only have one, if that. This time around, she wasn't responsible for herself; she was responsible for these two kids. If they died, the blood would be on her hands. More blood on her hands. More ghosts to haunt her.

"Why is she even mentoring? She shouldn't be here! This isn't fair, she's crazy. Everyone knows it. She won by default and I don't think she'll do me any good." The boy spoke from the hallway outside of Annie's door.

"You've got a lot to learn, Shaw, and she'll help you."

"That bitch won't know what to do with herself." Annie flew out into the hallway and pinned Shaw against the wall, holding a steak knife to his neck. He looked quickly from the knife to her face. She gave him a menacing smirk, one that was usually reserved for Capitolites. "Rule number one," she said, lowering her voice, "never underestimate who you're dealing with." She released him, spinning the knife in her hand and throwing it full force at the painting down the hall. It landed right between Snow's eyes. Shaw nodded; she'd clearly gotten his approval.

She looked at Finnick, who looked just as surprised as Shaw. "What?" she asked, "I may have won my games due to chance, but that doesn't mean I didn't earn that seven." She wanted to mention that she'd been the one to kill Clash, but it suddenly didn't seem so brag-worthy.

"Where's Mal?" Annie asked. Both boys pointed to the dining hall, and Annie headed over there. She found her newest tribute curled in a ball, staring out the window. Annie wanted to comfort her, remembering that comfort was exactly what she had wanted when she was in Mal's shoes. Annie sucked it up. If she wanted to give Mal a chance of coming home, now wasn't the time to get soft. "Sulking is a weakness." Annie said, leaning against the door. Mal didn't look at her, "Let's not do this. We both know I don't have a chance."

Annie sighed, "But you're going to fight anyway." Mal looked at her now, "What makes you think that?"

"I can see it in your eyes. So, instead of brooding, let's get you ready. Let's give you the chance to fight." Mal met her eyes, and even though Annie hadn't planned on being soft, she could tell that her words had comforted this poor girl. "Now go get ready for dinner." Annie said. Mal nodded and headed to her room.

"You're already proving to be one incredible mentor." Finnick said. Annie turned to look at him, "They both deserved it."

"They've got a shot, Annie. One of them could do this." With their fight from this morning apparently over, Annie nodded, "I know they could."

* * *

Dinner on the train reminded her of the dinner she'd shared with Mags, Finnick and Phoenix. Just like then, there was so much food on the table that they barely had room for their plates. There was food from other districts, food that she'd forgotten even existed; food that Mal and Shaw had probably never even heard of. Both of their eyes were wide. Annie leveled her gaze at her tributes, "Take it easy." She warned. Unlike her, these two tributes wanted to eat everything. Annie had just pushed the food around her plate.

Shaw was a volunteer; a stupid, pretty faced volunteer. She couldn't help but shake her head, even now, as she watched him across the table. Finnick seemed to read her mind, and he placed a hand on her knee underneath the table to calm her. She knew that he was good as dead. He had the arrogance that both Finnick and Phoenix had. But there was something else in him, innocence…almost childlike.

Mal was a different story. She was a lot like Annie. Out of all the kids who trained and prepared for The Games, she'd gotten unlucky. Mal's name was called, and a silent moment had engulfed the district as no one volunteered to save her. Annie related to that feeling more than anything.

"So," Finnick broke the silence, forcing his two tributes to look up from their plates, "what skills do you have?"

"I'm good with a trident. I can swim. I've been practicing my knots. I know how to start a fire. I've been studying plants. I also know how to throw knives and I've become pretty good with a bow." Shaw listed instantly. Finnick nodded solemnly. "And what about you?" he motioned to Mal.

"I can hold my breath longer than anyone in our grade. My mom taught me how to make nets. And my dad's basically been teaching me to handle a spear and a trident since I was born…you know, just in case." She looked back down at her food, suddenly not feeling all that hungry.

* * *

Mal sat by the window in her room. It was getting so muggy. The fresh air was being replaced by pollution. She knew they must be close to the Capitol. They'd probably get there pretty early in the morning. And then comes the nightmare. The make-over, the chariot ride, the training, being scored, and then being put into an arena to die. She scoffed to herself. She knew she'd die. Mal was an optimistic person; she'd always believed the best in people, the best of herself. But this wasn't the same. This was the reality of the world. Twenty four innocents go in, only one comes out. She wasn't going to be that one, she just knew it. She could feel it….she could feel her impending death. How morbid.

She turned her head to the light knocking on her door. She sat for a moment, deciding to ignore it. It was probably Annie Cresta coming to give her a cup of tea and telling her to have hope. Hope was pointless. There was no hope. She felt a hot tear roll down her cheek as she tried to grasp all of this. The knocking persisted, and Mal rolled her eyes. She stood up, crossed the room and opened the door.

Shaw stood there with his eyes on his shoes, and she waited while he slowly lifted them to look into hers. "How are you?" he asked, his voice rugged. She shrugged, quickly swiping the tear away, feeling embarrassed that he might have seen it.

"What about you?" she asked. He shrugged too. "Do you think I could come in?" he asked. The rawness of his voice tore at her. She removed her arm from the door and gestured him inside. Shaw closed the door behind him; slowly and quietly.

"Why did you come here?" Mal asked.

"We're both going to die, aren't we?" he sat down on her bed. Mal shook her head, "You've got a one in twenty four shot. You have a chance. You're ready for this, Shaw. You volunteered for it."

"We both know why I volunteered." Mal felt the tears springing to her eyes again, "You shouldn't have. Now we're both dead."

"It's better than sitting on the couch and watching you die while I'm helpless in District 4." He argued. She wanted to argue with him, but there was no point in that either. There was no point in anything. All they had were a few days.

Her tears were running down her face but she didn't take her eyes off of him. He sat on the edge of her bed, his hands locked in his hair while his head hung. He looked so much older. She'd always thought there was an innocent air about Shaw, but in that moment, he'd never looked more grown-up.

"Come here," he whispered. Mal took slow steps towards him, and as she did, his eyes watered, matching hers. When she reached him, she took one more step to stand between his legs, and then she dropped her face to his, "No more waiting..." she took a moment to collect herself, "there's no more time." And then his lips were on hers in agreement. His kissing was urgent, rushed, and she matched it. They had the same feeling rushing through their bodies; so much time wasted, all they wanted to do was make up for it. And that's why Shaw pulled her on top of him, sliding back into the pillows. And that's why when he did it, Mal didn't stop him.


End file.
